(o.  i.  If: 


BV  1520  .886 

The  Sunday  school  at  work 


?va;>s 


The  Sunday  School 
at  Work 


PHILIP  E.  HOWARD 

AMOS  R.  WELLS 

Rev.  A.  H.  McKINNEY.  Ph.D. 
W.  C.  PEARCE 

E.  MORRIS  FERGUSSON.  D.D. 

Rev.  FRANKLIN  McELFRESH.  Ph.D. 
Rev.  J.  S.  STOWELL 

RALPH  E.  DIFFENDORFER 

Rev.  GEORGE  GORDON  MAHY 
MAUD  JUNKIN  BALDWIN 

MRS.  J.  WOODBRIDGE  BARNES 

EdU^by 
JOHN  T.  PARIS.  D.  D. 


mm^-m 


FHn,ADEI.FmA 

THE  WESTMINSTER  PRESS 
1915 


Copyright.  1913.  1915. 
By  F.  M.  BRASELMANN 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 

Foreword 7 

I 

The  Superintendent  and  His  Associates 9 

I.     The  Superintendent  Himself 11 

II.     The  Superintendent  and  the  Pastor 16 

III.  The  Associate  Superintendent 19 

IV.  Sizing  Up  the  School 22 

V.     Planning  and  Carrying  Out  a  Program 28 

VI.    The  Superintendent's  Council 37 

II 

The  Secretary  and  His  Assistants 39 

I.     Introductory 41 

II.    His  Make-Up 43 

III.  His  Records 49 

IV.  His  Reports 57 

V,     His  Relationships 62 

VI.    His  Notebook 66 

VII.    His  Material  and  Literature 69 

III 

The  Treasurer  and  the  Librarian 73 

I.     The  Treasurer 75 

II.     The  Librarian 84 

IV 

The  Sunday  School  Graded 95 

L    Why? 97 

IL    What?         101 

III.  How? 105 

IV.  A  Graded  School 109 

V.    Graded  Teachers 115 

VI.    Specialized  Work 120 

3 


CONTENTS 

V 

The  Graded  Lessons ...  125 

I.     Introductory 127 

II.     Misconceptions 129 

III.  Difficulties  and  Objections 132 

IV.  Introducing  the  Elementary  Lessons 136 

V.     Introducing  the  Secondary  Lessons 145 

VI.  Suggestions  for  Management 149 

VI 

The  Elementary  Division 155 

I.  Introductory 157 

II.  The  Cradle  RoU 158 

III.  The  Beginners  Department 163 

IV.  The  Primary  Department 168 

V.     The  Junior  Department 172 

VII 

The  Secondary  Division 177 

I.     The  "Teen-Age"  Problem 179 

II.     The  Intermediate  Department 184 

III.     The  Senior  Department 192 

VIII 

The  Adult  Class 197 

I.     How  to  Organize 199 

II.    An  Adult  Class  Demonstration 205 

III.  The  Advantages  of  Federation 222 

IV.  Organizing  an  Adult  Bible  Class  Federation 225 

V.     One  Town  Federation  at  Work 228 

IX 

The  Teacher-Training  Class 231 

I.     A  Personal  Word 233 

II.  The  Plan 236 

III.  The  Bible 237 

IV.  The  Pupil 241 

V.     The  Teacher 247 

VI.     The  School 250 

VII.  How  to  Awaken  Interest 254 

4 


CONTENTS 

VIII.     Training  the  Teachers  of  To-Morrow 258 

IX.     Organization  and  Enrollment 262 

X.     The  Class  of  Teachers 266 

XI.     The  City  Training  School 272 

X 

The  Home  Department 279 

I.     What  the  Home  Department  Is 281 

II.     How  to  Begin 285 

III.  The  Work  of  Each  Quarter 291 

IV.  Building  Up  the  Membership 298 

XI 

The  Parents   Department 307 

I.     Introductory 309 

II.     Types  of  Present-Day  Organizations 312 

III.  Programs  and  Committees 315 

IV.  How  to  Start  the  Work 319 

V.     Our  Opportunity 323 

VI.     Suggestions  for  Leaders 327 

XII 

How  to  Increase  Attendance 329 

I.     The  Uncultivated  Field 331 

II.     Things  Fundamental 334 

III.  The  Story  of  One  School 337 

IV.  Some  Successful  Schools 342 

V.     General  Methods  Which  Have  Been  Used .... 347 

VI.     Reaching  the  Child 354 

VII.    The  "Teen"  Age 358 

XIII 

Missionary  Education  in  the  Sunday  School 365 

I.     The  Point  of  View 367 

II.     The  Missionary  Committee  in  the  Sunday  School. .  369 

III.  General  Methods 372 

IV.  The  Exercise  of  Worship 375 

V.     A  Missionary  Atmosphere 379 

VI.     Additional  Program  PossibiHties 382 

VII.     Home  Reading  and  Study 385 

VIII.     An  Adequate  Giving  Policy 387 

IX.     Missionary  Suggestions  by  Grades 390 

X.     Helps  for  the  Missionary  Committee 398 

5 


CONTENTS 


XIV 


Worship  in  the  Sunday  School 399 

I.     The  Need  and  the  Opportunity 401 

II.     Program  Essentials 406 

III.  A  Sample  Program 411 

IV.  A  Few  Suggestions 415 

XV 

Bringing  the  Pupil  to  a  Decision  for  Christ 419 

I.     The  Need 421 

II.     Placing  the  Responsibility , .  428 

III.     The  Decision  Day  Service 434 


Bibliography 445 


FOREWORD 


Sunday-school  workers  are  familiar  with  the  series  of 
brief  Sunday  School  Manuals  issued  during  recent  years 
by  The  Westminster  Press.  These  have  been  found  so 
helpful  that  urgent  request  has  been  made  both  for 
additions  to  the  hst  and  for  a  book  of  tested  Sunday- 
school  methods,  in  which  the  material  presented  in  the 
manuals  should  be  given  more  permanent  form. 

In  response  to  this  demand  "The  Sunday  School  at 
Work"  has  been  prepared  by  Sunday-school  workers  of 
national  and  even  international  reputation. 

Portions  of  the  book  are  based  on  the  manuals  which 
have  proved  most  useful.  Several  of  these  have  been 
almost  completely  rewritten  in  the  light  of  later  devel- 
opments in  Sunday-school  work.  However,  the  chapters 
of  two  of  the  manuals  have  been  incorporated  practically 
without  change,  as  the  message  carried  by  these  is  the 
message  needed  to-day.  The  section  by  Dr.  McKinney 
on  The  Secretary  and  His  Assistants,  the  section  by 
Dr.  Fergusson  on  The  Graded  Lessons,  and  the  sections 
by  Professor  Wells,  Mr.  Stowell,  Dr.  Mahy  and  Mr.  Diffen- 
dorfer  treat  of  matters  not  included  in  any  of  the  manuals. 


FOREWORD  TO  REVISED  EDITION 


The  cordial  and  even  enthusiastic  reception  given  to 
THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK  has  led  the  pub- 
lishers to  offer  this  revised  and  enlarged  edition.  In  addi- 
tion to  slight  changes  elsewhere  in  the  volume,  sections  are 
included  on  The  Elementary  Division,  The  Secondary 
Division,  The  Parents  Department,  and  Worship  in  the 
Sunday  School.  A  full  Bibliography  is  added  at  the  close 
of  the  volume. 

March,  1915. 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WOEK 


I 

THE  SUPERINTENDENT  AND  HIS  ASSOCIATES 

BY 

PHILIP  E.   HOWARD 


THE    SUPERINTENDENT    AND    HIS 
ASSOCIATES 


I 
THE  SUPERINTENDENT  HIMSELF 

The  Superintendent  a  Manager. — ^When  a  man  is 
chosen  superintendent  of  a  Sunday  school  he  may  be  sure 
of  two  things:  The  choice  offers  him  a  great  privilege 
and  it  brings  into  his  life  high  responsibilities.  The  work 
will  test  his  character  at  points  where  true  character  will 
count  with  exceptional  force  in  vital  service.  The  super- 
intendent cannot  faithfully  carry  on  the  work  of  school 
management  unless  he  can  manage  himself  and  others. 
He  must  be  willing  to  take  hard  knocks,  and  to  take  them 
sweetly.  He  must  be  willing,  if  necessary,  to  see  what  he 
thinks  the  best  part  of  his  pet  plans  set  aside,  and  to  take 
his  medicine  without  a  grimace. 

The  superintendent  must  study  the  fine  art  of  getting 
others  to  work.  He  must  be  content  to  be  inconspicu- 
ous, to  keep  in  the  background,  to  get  others  to  make  sug- 
gestions, and  to  teach  others  that  he  relies  absolutely 
and  finally  upon  them  to  carry  out  work  which  has  been 
assigned  to  them.  A  few  experiences  of  the  forgetfulness 
or  faithlessness  of  others  ought  not  to  discourage  him  for 
an  instant.  He  is  a  manager.  His  chief  business  is  to 
set  others  at  work;  so  he  must  develop  every  particle  of 
talent  he  can  find  among  his  workers,  and  distribute 

11 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

responsibility  just  as  much  as  possible,  for  the  sake  of 
setting  everybody  at  work,  including  teachers  and  pupils. 
It  is  hard  to  bear  the  criticism  that  is  almost  sure  to 
come  to'  a  good  organizer,  for  some  will  say  that  he  is 
"always  trying  to  get  other  people  to  do  the  work."  That 
is  precisely  what  he  ought  to  be  doing,  but  it  is  several 
times  as  hard  as  doing  the  whole  thing  himself. 

Keeping  Close  to  the  Workers. — ^The  superintendent 
must  be  close  to  the  lives  of  his  coworkers.  If  he  has  no 
particular  interest  in  persons,  he  ought  to  get  interested. 
He  must  acquaint  himself  with  the  personal  problems  of 
his  teachers,  their  home  difficulties,  the  obstacles  in  their 
way  when  they  long  to  do  more  work  for  the  school.  He 
cannot  do  this  by  a  mere  "Glad  to  see  you"  on  Sundays, 
or  even  by  a  warm  handshake  before  or  after  the  service. 
He  must  become  the  adviser  of  his  teachers,  meeting  them 
in  their  homes,  sometimes  in  their  places  of  employment, 
sometimes  in  his  own  home,  or,  if  that  is  not  practicable, 
then  in  an  occasional  social  meeting  in  the  school.  The 
superintendent  of  the  third  largest  Sunday  school  in  the 
world  has  a  list  of  his  teachers*  birthdays,  and  no  matter 
where  he  may  be  he  writes  each  teacher  a  birthday  letter, 
a  personal,  hearty,  hopeful,  earnest,  cheery  letter. 

Always  Better  Ahead. — The  superintendent  should  cul- 
tivate the  vision  of  larger  and  better  things  for  his  Sunday 
school.  Some  men  habitually  look  down  a  dwindling 
path  ending  in  the  dark;  other  men  habitually  look  up  a 
climbing,  winding,  ever-rising  road  toward  the  heights 
where  there  is  light  and  growth.  If  the  superintendent 
does  not  expect  climbing  and  an  up  grade  for  his  school, 

12 


THE  SUPERINTENDENT 

it  is  almost  certain  to  be  on  the  down  grade.  It  is  one 
thing  to  say  "y^s''  to  this  statement,  but  quite  another 
to  keep  one's  character  tuned  up  in  this  respect,  and  rig- 
idly shut  out  from  his  vision  the  down  grade.  Mr.  John 
Wanamaker,  who  is  the  owner  of  Munkacsy's  painting, 
"Christ  Before  Pilate,"  says  that  one  of  the  saddest 
sights  he  can  recall  was  in  his  own  home  where  Munkacsy 
was  a  visitor  and  was  walking  up  and  down  before  the 
great  picture  which  he  had  painted.  He  stopped  and 
gazed  longingly  at  the  canvas,  and  then  said  to  Mr. 
Wanamaker,  "There  is  my  greatest  work;  I  shall  never  do 
another  as  fine  as  that."  "It  seemed  to  me  a  great  pity, 
said  Mr.  Wanamaker,  "that  the  artist  should  have  looked 
at  his  achievements  in  that  way;  that  he  should  have 
believed  that  he  had  done  his  best  in  the  past,  and  that 
there  was  nothing  better  ahead  for  him."  The  superin- 
tendent who  believes,  either  for  his  school  or  for  himself, 
that  the  best  work  is  in  the  past,  is  working  on  a  down 
grade. 

Finding  Time  for  Prayer. — It  is  particularly  import- 
ant that  the  superintendent  should  find  time  for  prayer 
about  his  work.  No  man  can  do  that  work  as  it  ought 
to  be  done  without  special  guidance  from  God,  with- 
out drawing  upon  the  divine  reservoirs  of  patience, 
hopefulness,  courage  and  steadiness  for  mind  and  nerve. 
A  single  display  of  temper  in  conducting  the  exercises 
may  ruin  a  year's  work.  A  tactless,  untimely  remark 
or  an  unkind  criticism  may  permanently  destroy  a  su- 
perintendent's influence  with  teacher  or  pupil.  A  weak- 
ening in  principle  will  also  lower  the  whole  character  of 
the  school, — as,  for  instance,  yielding  to  the  pressure  of 

13 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

closing  a  city  Sunday  school  in  the  summer,  or  a  country 
school  in  the  winter,  or  to  the  raising  of  money  by  any 
other  than  the  straight  giving  plan.  Through  prayer 
the  superintendent  can  find  power  and  poise  and  purpose 
as  in  no  other  way. 

Doing  Thorough  Bible  Study. — One  of  the  tempta- 
tions that  meets  the  superintendent  is  the  thought  that 
he  does  not  need  to  do  as  thorough  Bible  study  as  his 
teachers  must.  He  may  go  along  for  weeks  and  even 
months  with  superficial  study  of  the  lesson  without  having 
the  results  of  his  neglect  disclosed  to  his  associates,  and 
sometimes  not  even  to  himself.  The  neglect  is  damaging, 
however.  If  he  is  careless  in  his  Bible  study  he  is  not  doing 
his  duty  by  teachers  or  pupils;  his  conduct  of  the  pro- 
gram will  be  superficial,  and  his  words  at  the  close  of 
the  lesson  hour  will  ring  hollow. 

His  Bearing  During  the  Session. — During  the  school 
hour  the  superintendent  should  represent  in  his  own 
person  and  manner  and  words  what  he  would  like  to  have 
the  school  become.  He  should  be  orderly,  steady,  pa- 
tient; acting  upon  the  principle  that  a  smile  is  usually 
more  powerful  than  a  frown,  and  setting  forth  in  every- 
thing that  he  does  during  the  session — by  the  orderly, 
well-behaved,  unhurried,  but  prompt  and  brisk  conduct 
of  the  program — the  inner  life  of  hopefulness  and  high 
expectation  for  every  member  of  the  school. 

Holding  to  High  Ideals. — The  superintendent  must 
not  be  dismayed  by  his  own  high  ideals.  He  need  not 
be  afraid  of  setting  his  mark  too  high.     He  need  not  think 

14 


THE  SUPERINTENDENT 

he  must  lower  the  ideal  because  he  has  come  short  of  it. 
If  any  of  his  coworkers  point  to  difficulties  or  failures  in 
the  past  as  good  reasons  why  a  certain  ideal  should  not 
be  worked  out,  that  of  itself  is  not  the  slightest  reason 
for  yielding  the  ideal. 

The  superintendent  himself  must  be  a  man  whose  walk 
with  God  is  close  and  confiding,  whose  prayer-life  is  abso- 
lutely vital  to  his  everyday  work,  whose  interest  in  his 
fellow  human  beings  is  heartfelt  and  sincere,  whose 
patience  and  tact  are  under  constant  cultivation,  whose 
hopefulness  and  courage  are  not  to  be  disturbed  by  diffi- 
culties, and  whose  best  for  himself  and  for  his  school  is 
always  ahead.  And  if  he  is  not  even  trying  to  be  all  this 
to-day,  he  ought,  for  the  sake  of  the  school  and  of  the  ser- 
vice that  he  is  called  to  render,  to  pray  and  to  strive  for 
the  perfecting  of  these  qualifications  in  his  own  life.  He 
may  well  be  hopeful  about  the  result,  for  he  is  not  alone 
in  his  work. 


15 


II 

THE  SUPERINTENDENT  AND  THE  PASTOR 

The  pastor  is  the  ojQBcial  head  of  the  local  church.  He 
is  more  than  that.  He  is  the  friend,  the  counselor,  the 
guide  in  the  spiritual  affairs  of  the  members  of  his  congre- 
gation. 

Securing  the  Pastor's  Best. — If  the  pastor's  idea  does 
not  readily  coincide  with  the  superintendent's  idea  as  to 
how  the  school  ought  to  be  conducted,  there  is  danger 
that  the  superintendent  may  be  somewhat  disturbed  as  to 
what  he  thinks  is  the  pastor's  lack  of  understanding  of 
the  real  conditions.  The  pastor  may  be  equally  con- 
cerned as  to  what  he  counts  a  lack  of  sympathy  with  his 
thought  on  the  part  of  the  superintendent.  It  is  a  part 
of  the  superintendent's  duty  and  privilege  to  recognize 
the  leadership  of  the  pastor  in  all  matters  pertaining  to 
the  church  in  all  its  branches,  and  if  the  pastor  is  by  tem- 
perament or  training  indifferent  to  the  possibilities  of  the 
Sunday  school,  it  will  be  the  superintendent's  high  privi- 
lege to  bring  the  pastor  into  such  close  relation  with  the 
school  that  he  will  become  the  factor  that  he  ought  to  be 
in  its  best  life.  Meanwhile  the  superintendent  must 
have  in  mind  that  it  is  also  his  duty  to  consult  with  the 
pastor  about  every  important  move  made  in  the  school, 
to  keep  the  pastor  thoroughly  posted  on  school  conditions, 
to  bring  to  the  pastor's  attention  anything  of  special  in- 
terest that  he  discovers  in  periodicals  or  in  book  publica- 
tions bearing  on  the  Sunday  school,  and  to  learn  in  every 

16 


THE  SUPERINTENDENT 

way  he  can  from  the  pastor  the  fine  art  of  spiritual  leader- 
ship, seeking  his  advice  in  the  selection  of  teachers,  in 
special  courses  of  study,  in  the  choice  of  speakers  for 
special  occasions,  and  in  the  personal  problems  that  arise 
among  the  workers  or  pupils,  and  thus  in  every  way  to 
secure  for  the  school  the  best  that  the  pastor  can  give. 

Special  Work  for  the  Pastor.— The  pastor  may  be  the 
very  best  one  to  lead  a  teachers'  meeting  for  lesson  study, 
or  the  teacher-training  class  where  prospective  teachers 
can  be  trained  for  their  work  in  the  school.  Again,  it 
may  be  that  he  is  precisely  the  right  leader  for  the  adult 
Bible  class.  His  presence  in  the  school  should  be  encour- 
aged in  every  way  by  the  superintendent.  He  should  call 
upon  him  for  some  part  in  the  service.  He  should  ask 
him  to  act  as  a  substitute  teacher  occasionally,  if  the 
pastor  has  no  regular  class.  He  may  well  call  upon  him 
to  lead  a  monthly  school  prayer  meeting,  when  at  the  close 
of  the  lesson  hour  the  service  is  turned  over  to  the  pastor, 
and  the  whole  school  gives  its  attention  to  a  prayer  service 
in  which  many  take  part.  Great  service  can  be  rendered 
to  the  pastor  and  to  the  school  if  the  superintendent  will 
make  it  his  business  to  report  to  the  pastor  any  signs  of 
spiritual  interest  on  the  part  of  any  pupil.  In  one  school 
where  this  is  done  the  pastor  makes  it  a  practice  to  see, 
just  before  each  communion  Sunday,  every  pupil  who  is 
not  a  member  of  the  church.  In  that  school  the  pastor 
is  constantly  in  touch  with  the  progress  that  the  pupils 
are  making  in  the  spiritual  life. 

Counting  the  Pastor  In. — The  pastor  ought  to  be 
"counted  in."    The  great  trouble  is  that  so  many  of  us 

17 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

leave  him  out  of  our  calculations  in  planning  for  the 
school's  welfare. 

But  the  superintendent  must  not  expect  the  pastor  to 
give  his  whole  time  to  the  Sunday  school.  He  has  other 
duties  that  claim  his  time  and  thought.  He  can  help, 
and  he  will  help,  if  the  superintendent  will  open  ways 
by  which  the  help  can  be  rendered,  and  will  count  the 
pastor  in. 


18 


Ill 


THE  ASSOCIATE  SUPERINTENDENT 

A  Real  Partnership. — It  is  better  for  the  superintendent 
to  regard  his  coworker  in  the  executive  work  of  the  school 
as  an  associate  rather  than  as  an  assistant.  It  is  not 
assistance  from  one  not  having  much  responsibility  at 
this  point  that  the  superintendent  needs  so  much  as  whole- 
hearted, busy-brained  partnership  with  a  fellow  executive. 
Organization  requires  a  definite  head  in  leadership,  but 
that  leader  is  a  better  leader  because  of  tested  ability  to 
draw  another,  or  more  than  one,  into  the  practice  of  a 
devoted,  joint  responsibility  for  the  superintending  of  the 
school. 

There  is  hardly  any  phase  of  the  superintendent's  work 
that  offers  such  an  opportunity  for  service  through  co- 
operation as  his  relations  with  his  associate  superintendent. 
Assuming  that  there  is  one  such  associate,  these  are  some 
of  the  ways  in  which  the  partnership  can  be  made  effective: 

On  the  Platform. — Arrange  so  that  the  associate  will 
be  in  charge  of  the  platform  work  for  a  certain  number  of 
Sundays,  while  you  are  busy  on  what  might  be  called  the 
floor  work,  such  as  assignment  of  substitute  teachers,  the 
receiving  of  new  pupils,  etc.  Let  the  associate  prepare 
the  program  for  the  day,  and  let  him  conduct  it  without 
any  hovering  interference  on  your  part.  It  is  better 
to  have  some  things  go  not  quite  as  you  would  prefer 
than  to  have  your  associate  feel  that  he  is,  after  all,  only  a 

19 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

temporary  assistant.  You  will  be  glad  to  note  a  refreshing 
variety  in  the  school  sessions  under  this  method,  and  it 
will  bring  you  meanwhile  into  "closer  contact  with  the  de- 
tails of  the  school  life  and  work  as  you  move  about  your 
floor  duties  at  proper  times.  When  you,  as  superintendent, 
in  your  turn  have  charge  of  the  platform  work,  your  asso- 
ciate takes  the  floor  work,  and  is  able  to  study  the  school 
needs  closely  and  to  meet  them  much  better  than  he  could 
otherwise  do. 

Dividing  Up  the  Work. — Divide  certain  definite  re- 
sponsibilities between  the  associate  and  yourself  in  the 
care  of  the  whole  enterprise,  shifting  these  from  one  to  the 
other  from  time  to  time  in  order  that  both  yourself  and 
your  associate  may  be  thoroughly  familiar  with  every  part 
of  the  school.  Do  not  specialize  too  closely  by  confining 
your  duties  or  his  always  to  one  group  of  activities.  The 
school  needs  to  be  equipped  with  well-trained,  fully  in- 
formed leadership,  and  at  least  two  persons  should  be 
thoroughly  posted  and  ready  to  lead  in  any  part  of  the 
work. 

A  Many-Sided  Training. — For  instance,  suppose  for  a 
few  months  or  longer,  the  associate  should  take  the  initia- 
tive in  securing  and  placing  new  teachers,  in  consultation 
with  his  chief.  Or,  again,  let  him  supervise  the  work  of 
looking  up  absentees,  and  receive  the  secretary's  reports, 
and  in  general  have  an  eye  to  the  pupils'  and  teachers' 
presence  and  promptness.  He  may  also  be  the  chairman, 
now  and  then,  of  a  Program  Committee  for  special  occa- 
sions. In  short,  let  him  be  trained  to  do  all  that  a  super- 
intendent should  be  able  to  do,  even  to  the  presiding  at 

20 


THE  SUPERINTENDENT 

some  of  the  business  or  other  meetings  of  the  workers. 
And  this  very  leading  out  of  a  fellow  worker  into  equal 
and  ever-enlarging  service  can  be  made  one  of  the  joys  of  a 
superintendent's  service  for  his  school, — "in  honor  prefer- 
ring one  another."  It  would  be  unwise,  of  course,  to  keep 
the  school  in  a  state  of  uncertainty  as  to  the  right  officer 
to  whom  various  matters  should  be  referred;  but  the 
obvious  position  of  each,  and  the  duties  of  each  as  duly 
assigned  and  announced  from  time  to  time,  will  clear  up 
this  possibility  of  confusion.  And  the  close  partnership 
plan  will  help  both  superintendent  and  associate  to  act 
wisely  in  the  light  of  what  each  knows  the  other  would 
counsel.  In  one  school  where  a  very  strong  business  man 
of  powerful  personality  is  the  chief  superintendent  there 
are  several  associates;  and  if  a  stranger  asks  the  leader  to 
tell  him  who  is  the  superintendent,  he  will  answer,  "Well, 
we  have  several,  and  we  divide  up  the  work."  And  that 
is  not  a  bad  answer  for  any  superintendent  to  be  able  to 
give. 


21 


IV 
SIZING  UP  THE  SCHOOL 

Taking  an  inventory  is  one  of  the  first  things,  and  one 
of  the  frequent  things,  a  superintendent  should  do.  And 
here  are  some  of  the  items  he  would  do  well  to  take  into 
account,  both  to  ascertain  what  the  school  is,  and  what 
it  may  come  to  be. 

1.  Is  every  class  supplied  with  a  teacher f 

Of  course  a  class  without  a  teacher  is  not  a  class.  A 
study  of  the  record  of  attendance  and  a  look  over  the  school 
will  bring  to  light  the  exact  conditions, — ^if  the  records 
have  been  well  kept.  A  careful  note  should  be  made  of 
the  class  without  any  teacher  at  all,  and  of  classes  having 
irregular  teachers.  The  teacher  is  the  key  to  all  good 
work  in  the  school.  If  the  key  isn't  there  when  wanted, 
there  is  trouble.  If  the  key  is  missing  altogether,  a  new 
one  must  be  found. 

For  the  class  without  a  teacher,  the  superintendent 
should  act  promptly.  It  may  be  best  to  combine  the  class 
with  another;  but  very  rarely  should  a  class  of  girls  or 
boys  in  their  teens  or  under,  number  more  than  eight 
Unless  the  school  has  a  training  class  for  teachers,  from 
which  some  one  is  about  to  be  graduated,  the  new  teacher 
may  be  looked  for  among  adult  Bible  class  members,  or 
among  some  of  the  young  people  who  have  shown  a  good 
attendance  record,  and  an  interest  in  the  school  in  other 
ways.  Should  the  search  fail  here,  it  would  be  well  to 
look  over  the  list  of  adult  church  members,  considering 

22 


THE  SUPERINTENDENT 

with  the  pastor  the  names  of  any  who  have  given  any 
signs  of  personal  fitness  for  the  teacher's  work,  and  with 
the  help  of  the  pastor  and  some  of  the  teachers  secure 
some  one  from  this  number.  If  the  proper  teacher  can- 
not be  secured  from  the  present  church  membership  it 
may  be  that  there  is  in  the  neighborhood  some  one  who 
has  been  in  Sunday-school  work,  and  yet  who  has  not  been 
drawn  into  any  association  with  the  work  or  the  school. 

2.  Are  the  school  records  in  good  shape? 

Look  at  them.  Apply  tests.  Are  the  pupils'  full 
names  correctly  entered?  If  not,  painful  blunders  may  re- 
sult. When  you  write  a  warm-hearted  birthday  letter 
to  John  F.  Wilkins  and  address  him  as  "My  dear  James" 
and  mail  the  letter  to  James  E.  Wilkins,  the  aggrieved 
and  scornful  John  will  wonder  whether  your  letter  is  as 
warm  as  it  reads.  If  you  have  any  doubt  about  the  list, 
ask  the  teachers  to  examine  their  attendance  cards  or 
roll  books,  and  to  make  sure  of  the  literal  accuracy  of 
each  name. 

Are  the  names  all  there  for  every  department?  Some- 
times teachers  depend  upon  the  secretary,  and  the  secre- 
tary upon  the  teachers,  for  completion  of  names  and  ad- 
dresses. The  responsibility  becomes  divided,  and  the 
records  fall.  It  is  well  to  put  the  final  responsibility  upon 
the  secretary  for  the  correctness  of  records,  and  to  let  him 
know  that  you  rely  upon  him  for  thorough  work. 

Do  the  records  show  all  that  you  want  to  know,  or 
ought  to  know,  about  teachers  and  pupils?  Note  on  a  slip 
of  paper  what  items  of  information  you  should  have  to 
enable  you  to  keep  track  of  the  membership.  You  will 
need  to  know  at  least  these  facts:  Full  name — not  merely 
the  surname  and  initials;  address;  age  and  birthday  of 

23 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

pupil;  parents'  names,  occupation  and  church  relation; 
whether  pupil  is  a  member  of  the  church  or  not;  date 
of  uniting  with  the  church;  attendance  record  for  each 
Sunday — on  time  or  late.  To  this  may  be  added  a  record 
of  church  attendance;  of  contributions;  of  proficiency  in 
recitation  of  assigned  work,  or  of  the  general  lesson; 
and  a  note  showing  when  the  pupil  brings  another  to  the 
school.  The  Presbyterian  Board  of  Publication  can  fur- 
nish you  with  information  about  a  variety  of  record  sys- 
tems, and  will  aid  you  in  choosing  the  one  best  adapted  to 
your  school. 

3,  Is  the  'percentage  of  attendance  as  compared  with 
enrollment  what  it  should  hef 

Look  over  the  records  for  typical  Sundays  at  various 
seasons  of  the  year  for  a  few  years  past,  or  even  one  year, 
and  test  the  question.  If  you  have  an  enrollment  of 
two  hundred  and  the  attendance  has  averaged  only  one 
hundred  on  clear,  pleasant  Sundays,  something  is  wrong. 
Fifty  per  cent  attendance  is  too  small. 

The  trouble  may  be  found  in  any  one  or  in  all  of  several 
directions: 

(a)  The  roll  may  need  cutting  down.  Many  persons 
on  the  roll  may  not  now  be  entitled  to  membership  in 
the  school,  because  of  removal  from  the  neighborhood 
or  regular  attendance  at  some  other  school. 

(6)  The  percentage  may  be  low  because  the  occasional 
absentees  are  allowed  to  become  chronic  cases,  through 
lack  of  any  follow-up  plan,  either  by  letters  or  by  per- 
sonal visits  from  teachers  or  officers,  or  from  pupils  ap- 
pointed for  the  occasion. 

(c)  The  percentage  may  be  low  because  the  general 
platform  exercises  of  the  school  have  fallen  into  dull  and 

24 


THE  SUPERINTENDENT 

uninteresting  ways.  In  one  large  school  in  Trenton, 
New  Jersey,  the  superintendent  has  tested  this  phase 
of  the  question  so  carefully  that  he  is  sure  to  notice  a  falling 
off  in  attendance  whenever  he  ceases  to  exert  himself  in 
preparing  an  interesting  program. 

(d)  The  percentage  may  be  low  because  of  an  unfor- 
tunate placing  of  pupils  in  classes  unsuited  to  their  needs. 
The  difficulty  is  subtle  and  cannot  be  cured  in  a  moment, 
or  even  detected,  without  cautious  and  tactful  study. 

A  school  that  averages  in  attendance  only  fifty  per 
cent  of  its  enrollment  on  Sundays  that  are  not  stormy 
should  be  closely  scanned  for  such  common  defects  as 
are  here  noted.  If  you  find  that  the  percentage  is  about 
eighty,  or  better,  it  means  that  good  work  is  going  on, 
and  naturally  suggests  an  extending  of  the  enrollment 
by  getting  in  new  members  to  benefit  by  the  school  life 
and  work. 

4,.  Does  the  school  sing  heartily? 

Not  noisily.  Not  necessarily  with  fine  effects  in  skilled 
chorus  work.  But  does  the  school  Hke  to  sing?  Does  it 
clearly  show  its  enjoyment  of  the  singing?  Or  is  it  a  drag 
and  a  tug  to  rouse  the  school  whenever  a  hymn  is  given 
out?  If  this  most  joyous  and  heartening  part  of  the  Sun- 
day-school service  is  a  bore  to  the  school,  something  is 
woefully  wrong.  The  leader  may  be  a  scold  or  a  driver, 
snapping  his  lash  over  a  sullen  team,  made  sullen  by  his 
nagging.  Reform  him  or  replace  him.  The  hymns  may 
be  unattractive  to  the  boys  and  girls,  who  can  so  readily 
give  that  strong  heartiness  to  a  school's  singing  when 
they  are  asked  to  sing  hymns  they  like.  At  least  one  of 
the  more  prominent  hymn-book  publishers  never  includes 
a  hymn  in  any  of  his  books  until  it  has  been  tested  by  him 

25 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

in  Sunday  schools  and  has  met  with  the  evident  approval 
of  those  who  are  asked  to  sing  it.  We  should  not  be  too 
much  afraid  to  let  a  school  sing  hymns  that  the  school 
likes,  whether  we,  with  our  grown-up  likes  and  dislikes, 
would  prefer  them  or  not.  It  is  simply  hopeless  to  get 
a  school  to  sing  heartily  any  hymns  that  are  not  heartily 
liked  by  the  school.  Your  present  hymn  book  may  have 
many  hymns  in  it  that  the  school  would  like  if  it  had  a 
chance  to  try  them.  Or,  again,  it  may  be  time  for  a  new 
book. 

5.  Has  the  school  a  workers^  meeting? 

By  that  is  meant  a  meeting  for  lesson  study,  and  for 
careful  study  of  the  school's  needs.  Such  a  meeting  should 
be  held  once  a  week,  on  an  evening  set  apart  for  it,  or 
before  or  after  the  midweek  prayer  meeting.  It  will 
cost  much  sacrifice  to  arrange  it.  That  meeting  is  worth 
all  it  costs — and  more.  Of  course,  it  can't  be  done — ^if 
you  look  at  the  thing  through  the  eyes  of  the  *'Can't- 
Do-Its."  But  it  can  be  done,  and  should  be,  if  you  ex- 
pect to  be  superintendent  of  a  real  school,  where  definite, 
united,  thorough  work  is  done. 

6,  How  many  pupils  have  united  with  the  church  in  the 
past  year? 

Check  up  the  roll  carefully,  prayerfully.  Note  the 
classes  where  no  such  step  has  been  taken  by  a  single 
member  who  was  outside  the  church  one  year  ago.  Do 
you  know  whether  or  not  the  teacher  of  that  class  ever 
puts  the  great  invitation  directly  to  the  members  of  that 
class,  individually?  How  have  the  general  exercises  helped 
in  this  direction?  Has  the  school  observed  Decision  Day? 
Have  school  prayer  meetings  been  held  frequently?  You 
are  at  the  heart  of  the  school  life  just  here.    Your  dis- 

26 


THE  SUPERINTENDENT 

coveries,  decisions  and  your  doings  as  superintendent  at 
this  point,  determine  eternal  issues. 

7.  Is  the  school  divided  into  the  proper  departments, 
so  that  all  this  work  can  be  done  at  its  best? 

Consider  this.  Do  not  be  hampered  by  what  you  may 
call  a  lack  of  equipment.  One  of  the  finest  Sunday  schools 
in  this  country  is  scattered  all  through  every  nook  and 
corner  of  the  church  building.  Some  of  the  greatest 
helps  to  good  work  are  the  inconveniences  that  you  have. 
Any  school,  big  or  little,  may  be,  should  be,  divided  into 
departments  according  to  the  age  of  the  pupils.  What 
the  departments  may  be  is  told  elsewhere  in  this  manual. 
In  your  inventory  of  the  school  the  study  of  department 
arrangement  must  never  be  lost  sight  of. 

S.  Does  the  school  give  systematically  and  understand- 
inglyf 

If  the  pupils  are  taught  in  the  class  and  from  the  plat- 
form to  give  regularly,  and  are  told  how  much  is  needed 
for  any  object,  and  the  actual  use  to  which  the  money  is 
put,  they  will  give  more,  and  give  more  gladly,  and  learn 
more  clearly  the  blessing  of  giving,  than  if  they  are  merely 
told  that  **it  is  now  time  to  make  our  usual  offering." 
Does  your  school  really  know  the  where  and  the  why  of 
its  gifts?  Do  you  know,  so  that  you  could  enlighten  a  boy 
or  girl  on  the  subject  by  information  other  than  the  mere 
name  of  a  "board"  or  institution?  Knowledge, — and 
consequently  intelligent  interest, — is  at  the  heart  of  giving. 

Note  closely,  too,  how  the  school  expenses  are  met. 
Do  the  church  authorities  look  out  for  these,  or  must  the 
school  do  it?  The  school  is  the  church  at  Bible  study. 
The  church  as  a  whole  should  bear  the  expenses. 


27 


V 

PLANNING  AND  CARRYING  OUT  A  PROGRAM 

Every  session  of  the  school  should  be  conducted  accord- 
ing to  a  definite  program.  And  the  program  calls  for 
planning  before  it  is  used,  and  watchfulness,  energy  and 
enthusiasm  in  carrying  it  out  when  in  use. 

Variety  and  Fitness. — ^Two  factors  should  always  be 
kept  in  mind  in  all  this — variety  and  fitness.  One  lead- 
ing Sunday-school  superintendent  has  said  that  the  only 
regular  feature  of  his  program  is  variety.  And  variety 
is  not  even  hard  to  get,  if  one  remembers  the  need  of  fit- 
ness, appropriateness  in  the  program,  in  accordance  with 
the  chief  thought  and  purpose  of  the  lesson.  So  varied 
is  the  Bible  material  that  if  the  superintendent  plans  his 
program  each  Sunday  to  fit  the  lesson,  his  programs  are 
bound  to  be  varied,  and  he  will  not  be  likely  to  produce  a 
dull  or  tiresome  routine  for  the  school  session. 

The  Elements  of  a  Program. — In  schools  where  money 
is  not  readily  available  for  printed  orders  of  service  the 
superintendent  need  not  be  at  a  loss  for  a  perfectly  satis- 
factory plan  for  his  program.  Let  him  look  over  the 
lessons  for  the  coming  three  months  to  discover  what 
definite  impression  should  be  made  upon  the  school  by 
those  lessons.  He  has  several  means  at  his  disposal  for 
helping  the  teachers  f  o  impress  the  lessons  of  that  quarter. 
His  choice  of  hymns,  his  choice  of  Scripture  readings,  in 

28 


THE  SUPERINTENDENT 

addition  to  the  lesson  text,  and  the  brief  platform  prayers, 
talks  and  blackboard  work  are  the  chief  means  that  he 
will  use. 

Choosing  the  Hymns. — ^The  hymns  should  vary  in  senti- 
ment and  musical  character  with  the  lessons.  Some  of 
the  strong,  militant  h^Tnns  like  "Onward,  Christian  Sol- 
diers," or  ''Stand  Up,  Stand  Up  for  Jesus,"  will  be  chosen 
for  lessons  in  which  the  march  of  God's  kingdom  and  the 
loyalty  of  his  followers  are  prominently  taught.  But 
hymns  of  that  temper  and  tone  are  not  wisely  chosen  for 
a  lesson  on  the  quieter  virtues  of  patience  or  forbearance. 
It  is  easy,  with  the  school  hymn  book  in  hand,  to  guard  in 
advance  against  the  choice  of  a  hymn  that  cannot  possibly 
add  anything  to  the  day's  definite  impression  of  the  real 
lesson. 

Bible  Readmgs  Readily  Found. — ^In  lesson  periodicals 
there  are  suggested  Bible  readings  bearing  on  the  lesson 
for  each  Sunday.  The  superintendent  will  find  in  these 
selections  ample  material  for  supplemental  Scripture 
readings  to  use  in  the  school  session. 

Preparation  for  Prayer. — ^The  preparation  for  prayer 
is  ordinarily  slight,  and  often  lacking  entirely.  But 
prayer  needs  preparation,  for  the  leader  is  not  merely  to 
utter  stock  phrases  which  have  a  devout  sound,  but  he 
is  to  lead  in  prayer — to  represent  in  God's  presence  the 
inmost  heart-longings  of  a  praying  company  of  children, 
young  people  and  grown  folks.  He  is  to  talk  with  God 
in  their  behalf,  in  their  stead.  Can  a  man  enter  into  a 
responsibility  like  that  without  preparation  of  the  most 

29 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

earnest  sort?  And  here  again  the  lesson  itself  will  guide 
one's  thought.  As  the  great  life-thoughts  of  the  lesson 
are  revealed  by  study,  the  superintendent  will  see  how 
these  thoughts  apply  to  the  neighborhood  life  around 
him.  Is  the  lesson  "Jesus,  the  Good  Shepherd"?  That 
lesson  will  suggest  to  the  superintendent,  not  prayer  for 
deliverance  from  wars  and  pestilence,  but  the  uplifting  of 
voice  and  heart  to  God  in  thankfulness  for  the  shepherding 
care  of  the  Saviour,  and  in  earnest  appeal  for  the  saving 
of  those  who  are  of  the  flock  and  yet  not  within  the  fold 
to-day.  In  the  light  of  that  lesson,  prayer  may  be  offered 
for  the  distressed,  the  wandering,  the  forsaken;  for  those 
who  are  choosing  to  remain  unshepherded  by  the  Good 
Shepherd.  So  the  superintendent  will  speak  to  God  for 
his  fellow-workers  and  fellow-students,  and  his  words  will 
follow  their  heart-thoughts  for  the  day. 

The  Superintendent's  Lesson  Talk. — One  of  the  temp- 
tations that  is  almost  sure  to  beset  a  superintendent  is  the 
desire  to  talk  from  the  platform  after  the  lesson.  Some 
call  this  address  a  review  of  the  lesson,  and  it  is — some- 
times. Usually,  however,  the  danger  is  that  the  superin- 
tendent will  merely  try  to  impress  a  lesson  truth  that  has 
appealed  to  him,  while  not  really  knowing  what  has  been 
taught  in  the  classes.  A  lesson  review  is  out  of  the  ques- 
tion unless  the  reviewer  knows  in  the  main  what  has  been 
presented  to  the  pupils  as  a  first  view.  The  superintend- 
ent's talk  on  the  lesson  is  rarely  a  review  of  it,  since  he 
rarely  knows  just  what  the  teachers  have  taught,  because 
of  no  agreement  or  unison  among  the  workers  beforehand 
as  to  the  truths  that  are  to  be  taught  on  that  day.  Such 
unison  in  teaching  can  be  gained  in  the  regular  teachers* 

30 


THE  SUPERINTENDENT 

or  workers*  meeting,  but  hardly  otherwise.  And  if  the 
talk  is  not  a  real  review,  in  this  sense,  it  is  likely  to  be  dif- 
fuse, confusing,  a  bore  to  the  school,  with  no  good  effect 
whatever.  Brevity  comes  by  careful  planning,  not  by 
mere  wishing;  a  clinching  of  the  day's  impressions  impHes 
at  least  a  knowledge  of  what  the  impressions  have  been, 
judged  by  what  the  teaching  has  designed  to  do.  And 
a  single,  clear-cut  idea,  pressed  home,  is  infinitely  more 
effective  than  many  ideas  made  into  a  speech. 

A  superintendent  will  realize  that  sometimes  silence 
on  his  part  is  the  best  speech  he  can  make,  and  no  speech 
at  all  is  far  better  than  one  that  only  sends  the  school's 
thought  a-ghmmering  after  an  unimportant  and  perhaps 
untaught  part  of  the  lesson.  The  working,  and  not  the 
talking,  superintendent  is  needed  in  the  average  school. 

At  the  Blackboard. — Blackboard  work  is  open  to  any 
superintendent  who  can  make  a  mark  with  chalk,  and  see 
the  gist  of  the  lesson.  Ability  to  draw  well  can  easily 
be  a  hindrance  to  blackboard  work.  The  skilled  maker 
of  sketches  is  liable  to  draw  too  much — to  give  the  eye 
more  than  it  can  catch  quickly.  The  blackboard  is  a 
powerful,  searching  speaker,  if  allowed  to  speak  simply. 
A  word  or  two,  a  few  lines,  an  erasure,  an  insertion,  a 
simple  design  worked  out  before  the  school,  can  be  made  to 
deliver  a  direct  and  memorable  lesson. 

But  do  not  make  the  mistake  of  putting  your  black- 
board work  on  the  board  to  appear  there  in  full  view  of 
the  school  during  the  whole  session.  Nothing  kills  the 
effectiveness  of  blackboard  work  so  quickly  as  its  display 
before  the  instant  of  its  use.  One  of  its  chief  advantages 
is  the  sudden,  surprising,  unexpected  appeal  to  the  eye, 

31 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

brought  into  view  as  the  truth  is  developed  in  the  speaker's 
words.  If  the  school  sees  the  blackboard  design  before 
you  begin  to  talk,  your  talk  will  have  scant  attention. 
Everyone  in  the  room  has  reached  your  conclusions  when 
you  are  only  beginning  to  develop  the  idea.  And  that  is 
fatal  to  interest  and  attention. 

Variety  and  Fitness  in  Method. — And  how  may  a  wise 
variety  and  fitness  be  gained  in  the  methods  of  using 
hymns,  Scripture  readings,  prayer,  words  from  the  plat- 
form and  blackboard  work?  It  is  readily  seen  that  if  fit 
choices  of  material  are  made  there  will  be  variety.  But 
the  order  of  events,  the  method  of  handling  material, 
also  need  variety  and  fitness. 

If  a  superintendent  will  plan  at  one  time  programs 
for  several  Sundays  he  will  be  more  likely  to  avoid  same- 
ness in  method  than  if  he  plans  only  from  Sunday  to  Sun- 
day. He  can  compare  the  programs  more  carefully,  can 
add  here  and  cut  out  there,  and  rearrange  and  reshape, 
to  give  freshness  to  his  plan.  For  instance,  on  the  first 
Sunday  he  might  have  the  school  open  with  a  hymn,  fol- 
lowed by  prayer;  on  the  next,  with  silent  prayer,  followed 
by  a  hymn;  on  the  next  by  having  the  school  repeat  in 
unison  a  psalm  appropriate  to  the  day's  lesson,  followed 
by  a  hymn  and  prayer.  And  so  from  week  to  week  he  can, 
in  wonderfully  wide  variety,  plan  the  way  in  which  the 
session  is  to  be  opened. 

Variety  in  Scripture  Reading.— Again,  there  is  no  lack 
of  variety  in  ways  of  Scripture  reading.  It  is  not  neces- 
sary that  the  school  should  always  read  the  lesson  by  the 
ordinary  method  of  alternating  between  platform  and 

32 


THE  SUPERINTENDENT 

school.  Let  the  superintendent  read  one  verse,  the 
teachers  the  next,  the  girls  the  next,  the  boys  the  next, 
and  all  together  the  next,  and  so  on  through  the  lesson. 
Or  let  the  pastor  conduct  the  reading,  reading  part  way 
through  a  verse,  while  the  whole  school  takes  up  the  read- 
ing where  he  ceases,  and  finishes  the  verse  in  concert. 
This  method  quickens  attention  amazingly.  Or,  again, 
write  upon  slips  of  paper  the  number  of  each  verse  in  the 
lesson,  hand  these  to  classes  just  before  the  opening  of 
the  school,  and  ask  each  class  to  respond  by  reading  from 
the  Bibles  in  concert  that  verse,  when  you  call  for  it. 
Once  more,  when  you  wish  the  lesson  as  a  whole  to  be 
clearly  brought  before  the  school,  select  a  good  reader 
from  among  the  pupils,  and  have  that  one  come  to  the 
platform,  while  you  and  the  rest  of  the  school  listen  atten- 
tively to  the  reading  of  the  lesson. 

Supplemental  Bible  reading  can  be  made  particularly 
interesting  by  calling  upon  teachers  and  pupils  for  special 
parts  of  it.  In  your  week's  reading  of  passages  bearing 
on  the  lesson  you  will  find  material  for  this.  Select  such 
verses  or  whole  passages  as  you  wish  to  use;  indicate  on  a 
slip  of  paper  their  location;  and  hand  these  slips  to  a  few 
teachers  and  pupils  before  the  school  session.  Then, 
just  preceding  the  reading  of  the  lesson,  briefly  explain 
that  in  order  to  help  all  to  understand  better  the  lesson 
itself,  some  members  of  the  school  will  read  a  few  por- 
tions of  Scripture  giving  light  on  the  lesson  and  its  teach- 
ings. By  a  series  of  questions  which  you  have  prepared 
to  draw  out  as  answers  the  assigned  verses,  call  for  the 
verses  or  passages,  one  by  one.  If  these  are  read  in  a 
clear  and  distinct  way,  the  exercise  holds  the  attention 
of  the  school  effectively. 

33 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

Variety  in  the  Superintendent's  Talk. — ^The  superin- 
tendent's word  on  the  lesson  need  not  come  always  at 
the  close  of  the  session,  but  may  sometimes  precede  the 
study  period.  Then  he  may  speak  briefly  of  a  single  point 
which  he  hopes  no  one  will  overlook,  but  with  care  not 
to  take  the  edge  off  the  teachers*  work  by  expatiating  on 
the  lesson;  or  he  may  state  that  after  the  lesson  period 
he  will  call  upon  the  school  to  answer  a  question  about 
the  lesson,  which  he  now  gives  out.  Either  of  these 
methods  may  be  used  to  focus  the  teaching  on  one  phase 
or  another  of  the  theme  for  the  day,  or  to  emphasize  a 
point  that  should  have  special  note.  Sometimes  object 
talks  should  be  used.  Often  no  talk  at  all  is  needed. 
It  is  better  to  have  pupils  and  teachers  wish  that  the  super- 
intendent had  spoken  on  the  lesson  than  to  have  them  sorry 
that  he  did. 

Nor  should  the  blackboard  be  used,  necessarily,  every 
Sunday;  and  when  used,  as  it  should  be  very  often,  it 
need  not  be  brought  into  the  teaching  at  invariably  the 
same  point  in  the  service.  Sometimes  a  design  may  be 
used  to  illustrate  truth,  sometimes  a  word  or  two  as  a 
means  of  fastening  the  lesson  truth  in  the  school's  thought. 

Numerous  other  items  readily  suggest  themselves, 
such  as  solos,  recitation  of  Scripture  passages,  or  appro- 
priate lesson  poems  read  or  recited  by  individual  pupils; 
prayer  by  teachers  or  pupils;  a  missionary  address  with 
objects  from  mission  fields;  special  programs  worked  out 
from  start  to  finish  with  one  theme  in  mind,  such  as 
faith,  prayer,  hope,  courage,  and  programs  for  special 
days. 

All  this  and  more  can  be  done  without  one  cent  of  ex- 
pense for  printed  matter.      But  each  program  should 

34 


THE  SUPERINTENDENT 

be  written  out  for  the  superintendent's  use,  filed  for 
reference  and  used  as  a  help  later  in  securing  variety. 
If  money  is  available  for  printed  orders  of  exercise,  they 
will  be  useful  if  not  used  for  too  long  a  time.  They  can 
be  printed  on  two  sides  of  durable  cards  about  eight  by 
ten  inches  in  size,  and  can  be  prepared  by  a  committee, 
if  desired,  with  the  superintendent  as  chairman.  The 
printed  order  of  service  gives  a  definiteness  to  the  pro- 
gram that  helps  toward  order  and  steadiness  in  the  school, 
and  advance  preparation  by  the  superintendent. 

Review  Sunday. — Among  all  the  plans  for  Review 
Sunday,  the  written  review  is  here  earnestly  commended 
as  having  very  many  advantages.  It  is  not  hkely  to  be 
popular  at  first.  It  is  easier  for  teacher  and  pupils  to  go 
on  from  Sunday  to  Sunday  without  tests  so  accurate 
as  the  actual  writing  down  of  answers  to  questions;  but 
when  once  started,  the  written  review  is  a  great  factor 
in  school  life. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  quarter  let  it  be  understood 
from  the  platform  that  at  the  end  of  the  quarter,  on 
Review  Sunday,  the  superintendent  will  put  a  few  ques- 
tions, possibly  one  on  each  lesson,  which  he  will  ask  the 
school  to  answer  in  writing.  The  review  may  include 
all  in  the  school  who  can  write.  Occasionally  during  the 
quarter  ask,  in  a  brief,  two-minute  review,  a  few  questions 
on  the  preceding  lessons,  in  order  to  keep  the  school  alive 
to  the  coming  quarterly  review. 

On  Review  Sunday  see  to  it  that  each  pupil  and  teacher 
is  supplied  with  an  ample  sheet  of  paper  and  a  well- 
sharpened  pencil.  It  will  pay  you  to  buy,  by  the  gross 
or  dozen,  enough  pencils,  at  a  cent  or  less  apiece,  to  use 

35 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

again  and  again  in  the  reviews.    The  boys  will  enjoy 
sharpening  them  for  you. 

Prepare  very  carefully  ten  questions  on  the  quarter's 
lessons — questions  not  hard  at  all  at  first — and  let  the  first 
two  or  three  of  the  ten  be  so  easy  that  they  will  seem  al- 
most too  easy  to  the  school.  Dictate  the  questions  from 
the  desk,  and  ask  the  pupils  and  teachers  not  to  write 
the  questions,  but  the  answers,  properly  numbered,  and 
to  put  at  the  head  of  the  sheet  the  writer's  name  and  class 
name  or  number. 

Dictate  very  slowly,  repeating  the  questions  several 
times,  and  assuring  the  school  that  you  will  allow  plenty 
of  time  for  the  answers.  It  is  important  that  no  one 
should  be  hurried,  especially  in  the  first  test. 

Let  the  teacher  gather  the  papers  and  pencils  at  the 
close  of  the  review  period,  sending  them  to  the  platform 
by  class  members.  The  pencils  may  be  kept  by  the 
secretary  for  future  school  use.  The  papers  may  be  turned 
over  to  a  committee  of  three  teachers  for  examination 
and  marking,  or  may  be  read  and  marked  by  the  superin- 
tendent. It  will  give  you  a  new  and  intimate  view  of 
what  teaching  has  been  done  in  the  school. 

In  reporting  on  the  papers,  those  who  have  answered 
every  question  correctly  may  constitute  an  honor  list, 
and  the  names  of  all  who  have  attained  an  average  of, 
say,  seventy-five  or  over  may  be  read.  Some  will  prefer 
to  read  class  averages,  though  there  is  a  danger  that  this 
may  not  always  be  quite  fair  to  the  class  in  which  ability 
varies  widely. 

The  written  review  sets  up  higher  standards  in  any 
school  for  teacher  and  pupil,  and  is  sure  to  quicken  both 
teaching  and  study  where  it  is  thoroughly  tested. 

36 


.VI 

THE  SUPERINTENDENT'S   COUNCIL 

The  Superintendent's  Council  is  a  feature  of  the  well- 
organized  school  which  means  more  to  each  department 
than  many  words  could  tell.  The  Council  is  made  up  of 
the  officers  of  the  school  and  the  committee  chairmen, 
where  special  work  or  departments  of  work  are  under 
the  care  of  the  committees. 

The  superintendent  needs  the  Council.  He  can  accom- 
plish more  for  the  school  with  it  than  without  it.  He 
can  get  more  done  in  less  time  and  with  less  doubt  as  to  the 
acceptability  of  his  plans  than  in  any  other  way. 

The  Council  could  well  meet  once  a  month  for  an  even- 
ing's work.  The  questions  to  be  decided  by  it  should  be 
clearly  outlined  before  the  meeting,  so  far  as  possible, 
and  sent  in  writing  to  each  member.  This  gives  definite- 
ness  to  the  meeting,  and  affords  to  the  members  of  the 
Council  an  opportunity  to  think  over  the  questions  in 
advance. 

Special  meetings  may  readily  be  called  by  the  superin- 
tendent to  deal  with  emergencies.  He  will  find  wisdom 
in  such  a  group,  and  he  will  do  well  to  add  that  wisdom 
to  his  own. 

All  important  plans  for  school  improvement  should  be 
considered  by  the  Council  before  action  is  taken  by  the 
teachers,  and  should  have  the  Council's  approval  before 
going  into  effect.  In  this  way  many  ill-advised  plans  can 
be  set  aside,  and  many  good  plans  started  at  their  best. 

37 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

The  Superintendent's  Council  is  a  clearing  house  for  all 
the  most  important  school  matters,  and  the  superintend- 
ent will  do  well  to  avail  himself  of  such  a  means  of  wise 
management. 


38 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 


II 
THE  SECRETARY  AND  HIS  ASSISTANTS 

BY 

Rev.  a.   H.  McKINNEY,  Ph.D. 


39 


THE  SECRETARY  AND  HIS  ASSISTANTS 


INTRODUCTORY 

In  any  work  for  God  what  the  worker  is  counts  for  far 
more  than  what  he  does.  Character  and  consecration 
are  more  valuable  assets  than  cleverness  and  brilliancy. 
The  ''good  and  faithful  servant"  received  the  Master's 
commendation  and  reward.  At  the  same  time  there  are 
diversities  of  gifts  and  differences  of  operation.  Not  every 
good  man  is  fitted  to  be  the  ideal  secretary  of  a  Sunday 
school.  There  are  many  misfits  in  this  ofiice  as  there 
are  elsewhere.  Better  be  an  eflScient  something  else 
than  a  secretary  that  interferes  with  the  best  possible 
progress  of  the  Sunday  school. 

Many  secretaries  have  begun  work  in  Sunday  schools 
without  training.  They  have  had  no  one  to  direct  them. 
The  literature  pertaining  to  their  work  is  meager.  Hence 
they  go  along  as  best  they  can,  but  that  "best"  is  not 
what  it  might  be. 

These  chapters  are  prepared  to  help  secretaries  to  know 
themselves  and  their  work,  and  to  suggest  some  principles 
from  which  may  be  formulated  rules  and  methods  of  pro- 
cedure. These  principles  are  as  applicable  to  the  small 
school  in  the  country  as  to  the  larger  school  in  the  village 
or  to  the  very  large  school  in  the  city. 

A  successful  merchant  who  had  just  investigated  a 

41 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

Sunday  school,  with  mind  alert,  eyes  open  and  tongue 
ready  to  ask  searching  questions,  said  to  the  superin- 
tendent, *Tell  me  in  a  sentence  the  secret  of  the  success 
of  this  school."  Instantly  the  reply  came :  "Attention  to 
details."  He  knew  how  much  the  efficient  secretary  of 
that  school  had  to  do  with  its  success  because  of  his  un- 
tiring attention  to  details. 

Nothing  should  be  considered  too  insignificant  to  engage 
the  secretary's  attention,  and  nothing  too  large  to  be 
attempted  by  him,  for  the  small  things  as  well  as  the  great 
things  count  when  a  verdict  is  to  be  rendered  as  to  the 
success  or  the  failure  of  a  Sunday  school. 


42 


n 

HIS  MAKE-UP 

Theke  are  several  characteristics  which  determine  the 
success  or  the  failure  of  a  Sunday-school  secretary. 
While  these  traits  may  not  all  be  found  in  a  marked  degree 
in  one  person,  the  absence  of  any  of  them  militates  against 
the  best  service. 

Conscientious. — Above  everything  else,  the  secretary 
should  be  conscientious,  because  his  work  consists  in  a 
large  measure  in  keeping  records  which  are  valuable  in 
the  ratio  that  they  approximate  perfection.  Statistics 
should  be  based  on  facts  and  not  on  guesses.  No  average 
attendance  can  be  about  three  hundred.  An  average  is 
obtained  by  an  arithmetical  calculation.  Hence  the 
secretary  must  be  absolutely  correct  in  his  figures  if  they 
are  to  have  any  value.  A  haphazard  method  of  "suppos- 
ing" should  have  no  place  in  a  Sunday  school  where  char- 
acter is  to  be  developed. 

Intelligent. — ^The  old  theory,  that  a  young  fellow  who 
was  not  fitted  for  any  other  position  in  the  Sunday  school 
could  be  made  secretary,  has  been  outgrown  in  these 
later  years  of  Sunday-school  development.  So  much  de- 
pends upon  the  secretary's  intelligent  appreciation  of  the 
value  of  the  details  of  his  work  that  too  much  emphasis 
cannot  be  placed  on  this  trait  of  his  make-up.    As  he  is 

43 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

to  be  more  than  a  figurehead  or  mere  scribe,  the  greater 
his  intelligence  the  more  he  will  be  able  to  help  in  the  prog- 
ress of  the  work  of  the  school.  One  of  the  best  Sunday- 
school  secretaries  known  to  the  writer  was  a  business  man 
with  many  and  varied  interests  who  brought  the  same 
grade  of  intelligence  into  his  Sunday-school  oflfice  as  into 
his  week-day  occupations.  Why  should  not  God's  work 
have  the  best? 

Systematic. — A  person  may  be  conscientious  to  a 
degree  and  yet  so  lacking  in  system  that  he  is  not  to  be 
trusted  as  a  keeper  of  records  of  any  importance.  No 
matter  how  small  a  Sunday  school  may  be,  unless  its 
secretary  is  systematic  his  work  will  soon  get  into  such 
a  condition  that  it  is  valueless.  Much  more  is  this  the 
fact  in  large  schools.  Many  things  must  be  done  every 
Sunday,  at  a  given  time,  and  as  a  matter  of  routine; 
otherwise  confusion  results.  If  the  bank  clerk  must  be 
systematic,  why  not  the  secretary  of  a  Sunday  school? 

Trained. — It  is  often  most  difficult  to  get  training  in 
secretarial  work.  In  large  schools  it  is  possible  to  take 
young  men  or  young  women  and  put  them  to  work  as 
substitutes  or  assistant  secretaries  with  the  twofold 
object  of  benefiting  the  school  by  their  services  while 
they  are  being  trained  for  more  important  work.  A 
business  training  is  of  the  greatest  value  to  one  who  would 
act  as  secretary.  If  the  same  industry  and  common  sense 
are  put  into  work  for  the  Sunday  school  as  are  demanded 
in  business  life  the  work  of  the  school  is  helped  mightily. 

The  secretary  who  is  eager  for  training  will  learn  these 
facts:  1.  Much  valuable  information  may  be  gained  by 

44 


THE  SECRETARY 

visiting  other  Sunday  schools  and  conversing  with  suc- 
cessful secretaries.  2.  The  secretaries'  club  ought  to  be  a 
means  of  education  for  the  secretary.  3.  Conferences  of 
Sunday-school  secretaries  are  held  in  connection  with  in- 
stitutes and  conventions.  4.  Sunday-school  periodicals 
should  be  studied;  they  contain  helpful  suggestions  for 
secretaries 

Here,  as  in  other  fields  of  effort,  where  there  is  a  will 
there  is  a  way.  He  who  will  get  instruction  and  training 
will  find  opportunities  of  learning  how  to  become  more 
proficient  in  his  secretarial  work. 

Consecrated. — To  believe  in  one's  work  and  to  act  as  if 
it  were  worth  the  best  that  is  in  one  will  insure  success. 
The  secretary  who  appreciates  the  part  he  is  playing  in  the 
progress  of  the  kingdom  and  who  magnifies  his  office 
will  not  be  deficient  in  the  necessary  qualities  referred  to. 
He  will  not  only  study  his  work,  but  himself  also.  He 
will  seek  to  realize  wherein  he  is  deficient  and  will  set 
himself  to  remedy  his  deficiencies.  He  will  embrace  all 
opportunities  for  improvement  and  by  degrees  will 
become  what  he  thinks  he  ought  to  be.  His  consecration 
will  lead  him  toward  the  highest  and  best  in  his  work 
and  will  keep  him  from  being  easily  offended  or  discour- 
aged. 

Cooperative. — There  are  some  excellent  secretaries,  so 
far  as  their  clerical  work  is  concerned,  who  are  worse  than 
useless  because  of  their  unwillingness  to  cooperate  in  the 
work  of  the  school.  They  look  upon  their  office  and  its 
equipment  as  their  own  private  property,  and  resent  any 
intimation  that  others  have  anything  to  do  with  their 

45 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

time  or  manner  of  working.  Such  foolish  workers  inter- 
fere with  the  discipline  of  the  school  by  being  a  law  unto 
themselves  as  to  when  and  how  their  work  shall  be  done. 
They  interfere  with  the  work  of  teachers  and  officers  by 
insisting  on  having  their  own  way.  At  first  their  fellow 
workers  dread  them  and  then  avoid  them,  and  they  them- 
selves come  to  the  conclusion  that  it  is  very  difficult  to  do 
secretarial  work.  The  cooperative  secretary  has  learned 
that  there  are  times  and  ways  of  doing  his  much-needed 
work  so  as  not  to  disturb,  distract  or  impede  others. 
How  much  this  co5peration  means  is  evident  by  comparing 
a  school  blessed  by  a  cooperative  secretary  with  a  school 
cursed  by  one  who  runs  things  to  suit  himself. 

Courteous. — There  are  many  things  connected  with  a 
secretary's  position  that  have  a  tendency  to  vex  and  annoy; 
there  is  much  that  might  be  made  occasion  for  fault- 
finding. The  courteous  secretary  puts  his  pride  into  his 
pocket,  and  for  his  Master's  sake  becomes  the  servant 
of  all  in  the  school.  He  studies  to  be  quiet,  attentive, 
polite,  responsive.  He  realizes  that  for  Sunday-school 
machinery — as  for  all  other  machines — oil  is  much  more 
effective  than  sand.  Pupils,  teachers  and  officers  like 
to  come  to  his  room  or  desk,  for  they  know  that  they  will 
be  pleasantly  received  and  patiently  listened  to.  The 
author  thinks  of  two  secretaries:  The  first  w^as  conscien- 
tious in  the  extreme.  His  attention  to  details  was  re- 
markable. But  he  was  lacking  in  intelligence.  He  had 
no  vision  of  better  things  ahead.  He  could  not  dis- 
criminate between  the  important  and  the  unimportant. 
He  spent  so  much  time  on  relatively  trivial  matters  that 
he  rarely  caught  up  with  the  pressing  demands  of  the  day. 

46 


THE  SECRETARY 

He  tried  to  please  everyone,  but  he  spent  so  much  time 
in  explaining  why  he  did  valueless  work  that  he  became 
a  bore.  When  he  removed  to  another  state  his  Sunday- 
school  friends  were  not  grieved  at  his  departure.  In 
looking  for  his  successor  the  workers  said  to  one  another, 
"Let  us  find  some  one  with  sense  enough  to  appreciate 
that  some  things  may  be  left  undone  and  that  some  words 
are  best  unspoken."  His  successor  was  a  well-trained 
young  business  man.  He  knew  his  work  from  A  to  Z. 
His  records  were  models  of  correctness  and  neatness. 
His  reports  were  most  illuminating.  When  he  resigned, 
however,  because  of  an  imagined  insult  there  was  rejoicing 
throughout  the  Sunday  school.  Despite  his  intelligence 
and  system  he  was  lacking  in  that  kind  of  devotion  that 
would  have  enabled  him  to  cooperate  with  others. 

If  the  consecration  of  the  one  secretary  had  been  united 
with  the  intelligence  of  the  other,  the  result  would  have 
been  an  ideal  worker.  But  is  not  this  combination  too 
ideal  to  be  found  in  one  person?  This  question  suggests 
another.  How  important  is  the  work  of  the  secretary 
of  the  Sunday  school?  Much  depends  on  the  answer.  If 
the  work  is  of  little  importance  not  much  need  be  required 
of  the  worker. 

Preparing  for  the  Best  Service. — The  secretary  of  the 
Sunday  school  or  the  candidate  for  that  position  who 
concludes  after  due  investigation  that  the  work  of  the 
secretary  is  worthy  the  best  that  one  is  or  has,  will  aim 
for  proficiency.  Like  the  professional  man  or  the  busi- 
ness man  who  is  not  satisfied  with  present  attainments, 
he  will  take  pains  to  prepare  himself  for  the  very  best 
service.    Many  will  be  benefited  because  of  his  endeavors 

47 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

after  the  best,  but  the  one  reaping  the  largest  harvest  will 
be  himself. 

The  secretary's  work  calls  for  a  person  who  bulks  big 
in  many  directions.  Where  this  is  recognized,  the  proper 
type  of  man  or  woman  is  selected  for  the  oflSce.  Where 
the  ideal  has  been  held  up  high,  incumbents  have  fitted 
themselves  for  their  positions.     Why  not? 

The  writer  has  a  number  of  friends  ranging  from  thirty 
to  fifty  years  of  age  who  have  good  positions,  yielding  large 
salaries,  who  are  studying  to  fit  themselves  to  do  their 
work  better.  Why?  Because  they  realize  that  it  is 
worth  while  to  do  the  very  best  work.  A  successful 
physician  with  a  large,  remunerative  practice  every  now 
and  then  takes  a  few  weeks'  postgraduate  work  or  instruc- 
tion. Why?  Not  because  he  is  not  rendering  good  serv- 
ice, but  because  he  knows  that  it  is  worth  while  to  pre- 
pare himself  for  better  work. 


48 


Ill 

HIS   RECORDS 

A  FAITHFUL,  progressive  superintendent  may  have  his 
work  greatly  interfered  with  by  an  inefficient  secretary, 
or  one  who  does  not  cooperate  with  him.  The  efforts 
of  earnest  teachers  may  be  hindered  by  a  secretary  who 
does  not  understand  his  business  or  by  one  who  fails  to 
realize  that  he  may  be  a  helper  to  everyone  in  the  school 
through  the  records  which  he  makes  and  preserves. 

Just  the  kind  of  records  that  a  Sunday-school  secretary 
should  keep  depends  on  many  things.  In  some  form  or 
another  he  should  have  a  complete  registry  of  the  members 
of  all  the  departments,  with  their  residences  and  church 
affiliations.  Other  data — such  as  age,  birthday,  members 
of  the  family  of  each  pupil  and  worker — may  be  recorded 
as  local  conditions  require.  A  record  should  be  kept  of 
every  member's  attendance,  deportment,  credits  received 
for  work  done  and  demerits,  if  it  be  the  custom  of  the 
school  to  mark  for  disorder,  lack  of  attention,  etc. 

The  secretary's  records  should  be: 

Simple. — A  complex,  complicated  or  intricate  system 
of  records  may  bear  witness  to  the  ingenuity  of  the  sec- 
retary, but  will  not  prove  helpful  in  the  conduct  of  the 
school.  The  fewest  possible  words  or  figures  adequate 
to  record  the  facts  should  be  aimed  at. 

49 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

Comprehensive. — While  simpUcity  is  desirable,  com- 
prehensiveness should  not  be  overlooked.  The  records 
should  include  all  necessary  facts  and  at  times  suggestions 
made  for  future  reference. 


Systematically  Arranged. — ^There  are  many  methods 
of  keeping  Sunday-school  records.  |The  secretary  must 
decide  on  the  methods  best  suited  to  the  size  of  his  school 
and  the  work  it  is  doing.  Whatever  kinds  of  records  are 
adopted  they  should  be  well  arranged.  System  aims  at 
doing  the  largest  possible  amount  of  work  with  the  ex- 
penditure of  the  least  time  and  effort 

Accessible. — Sunday-school  records  are  not  the  personal 
property  of  the  secretary.  They  belong  to  the  school. 
It  should  be  understood  that  certain  specific  individuals 
have  the  right  to  consult  them.  Therefore  they  should 
be  kept  where  they  are  accessible.  If  it  is  advisable  to 
put  them  under  lock  and  key,  the  key  should  be  at  hand 
at  all  times,  or  duplicates  of  it  made,  so  that  the  authorized 
persons  will  have  no  difficulty  in  getting  at  the  records 
when  they  are  needed. 

Written  Up. — ^Most  annoying  is  it  for  the  pastor  or 
superintendent  or  any  other  authorized  person  consulting 
the  secretary's  records  to  discover  that  the  desired  facts 
have  not  been  recorded  at  the  proper  time.  It  is  not 
enough  that  old  records  should  be  written  up.  Records  of 
two  or  of  ten  years  ago  are  valuable,  but  sometimes  it  is 
necessary  to  know  also  facts  of  recent  date;  to  be  known 
they  must  be  recorded  in  legible  shape. 

50 


THE  SECRETARY 

Preserved. — Years  after  the  Sunday-school  secretary's 
records  are  made  they  may  be  needed  in  order  to  settle 
disputed  points,  or  to  furnish  information  on  matters 
that  have  grown  indistinct  in  the  memory  of  those  con- 
cerned. Comparisons  have  to  be  made  frequently. 
Hence,  the  Sunday-school  secretary  should  see  to  it  that 
his  records  are  preserved  in  some  lasting  form.  Cir- 
cumstances must  determine  the  method  of  keeping  the 
records  in  good  condition.  From  time  to  time  the 
present  secretary  of  the  school  should  make  it  his  busi- 
ness to  ascertain  whether  the  records  that  have  been 
handed  down  from  the  past  are  being  kept  for  future 
use. 

As  has  been  suggested  in  the  foregoing,  the  particular 
form  of  record  must  be  determined  by  the  person  who  keeps 
it.  For  many  purposes  card  indexes  are  most  available, 
as  they  furnish  a  form  of  record  which  is  readily  accessible 
for  present  use  and  which  may  be  systematically  filed 
for  the  future.  Loose  leaves  are  now  much  used  by  Sun- 
day-school secretaries  because  they  economize  time,  labor 
and  money. 

A  scrapbook,  containing  programs  of  services  used  on 
special  occasions  and  also  copies  of  the  various  blanks 
and  forms  employed  in  the  routine  work  of  the  school,  in- 
creases in  value  as  the  years  roll  on.  Much  time  is  saved 
by  individuals  and  committees  when  such  a  book  has 
been  intelligently  filled  and  is  kept  available  for  ready 
reference. 

A  file  cabinet  or  closet  of  some  kind  is  an  essential 
adjunct  to  every  secretary's  room.  This  piece  of  furni- 
ture should  be  in  a  dry  place  and  kept  clean,  for  moth  and 
rust  work  havoc  with  valuable  records. 

61 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

The  following  is  suggestive  as  a  permanent  card  record. 
It  is  printed  on  two  sides: 


•UMI 

MUM 

ouw  oa  (m  naeiLi 

»«M'0«n>oO'     -"'-        -' 

BM* 

D»TI 

a«»>  m 

Mt»              rttM 

•om 

MMTH 

0»» 

"*" 

WtWOHTtV 

MTHia'*  MM! 

■oTHtrtMia 

■uMoraouirauoii 

---^ 

AOOUM 

.IKWr.  O0CUM1KM 

MHOm.  Ul»T  ATTWOtB  »TA1 

ruowrr 

MM  »»»ueA«T  nn  uttuimo  tmh  sooooi,'  w 

■OMmjtTATiwHn 

***"*"     . 

IT 

■usn  or  CHURCH,  wm»t  mi  and  WHE»i 

««KT..TT«,o-«.e-»r 

^._j; 

lUMMt 

oiuet  txTiRfo  01  Hwnom 

OU*U         »•••.•.•■•       »..••..»   j     «».0.              II.T... 

TUMHn 

ernei* 

..L...«!«-«.l 

— 

TNANSrcn  RCCORD 

CLAS*    No.    CHANGED 

•      ^ 

rwM  «<jw*  no. 

'* 

BAT* 

>«oil 

TO 

DATI 

' 1 

RETURNED  TO   8CH 

OOL 

LAST 

KOLL  No. 

^~ 

REMARKS 

OATI 

ROM.    «0. 

— 1 

" "•  "" 

1 

52 


THE  SECRETARY 

This  card,  different  in  color  from  the  foregoing,  is  used 
as  a  permanent  record  of  marks  received  in  a  school 
where  credits  are  given  for  attendance,  punctuality, 
deportment  and  work  done: 


CLASS 
NO. 

OATS 

o.. 

rcACHCR-S    MAMS                                                                                          aoLk    N*.                       1 

NAME    OF    PUPIL 

' 

ADDRESS 

OATS 

— 

-^ 



MCMARKS: 

' 

- 

(OTMCN     SIOC     POM     ADDITIO 

MAI.     nCCOHD) 

..  «eeo«r5  or  w 

AR 

K9 

nece 

ve 

0 

jANUAtT 

Februart 

March 

Atdc. 

Exam. 

TOTAU 

TCAIt 

I 

a 

3 

4 

s 

I 

» 

3 

4 

5 

1 

3 

3 

4 

I 

'W 

.«9«5 

... 

I916 

I9IT 

.IQI8 

APRIL 

May 

June 

_'9'4 

I915 

«gi6 

1 

I9t7 

■■ 

] 

.lora 

JULY 

August 

September 

IQ14 

1915 

iqift 

19«7 

,>918 

1 

October 

November 

Decik 

BE. 

StmMA«Y 

1914 

I9'5 



1916 

" 

1917 

>9'8 

■ 

' 

"      .. 

h  "• 

IVST 

a-  m 

c*aa 

■  ■c 

bas  ■ 

vaTs 

<t 

II 

" 

s««ai* 

53 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

In  addition  to  the  birthday  records  kept  in  the  different 
grades  of  the  Elementary  Department,  a  card  should  be 
kept  by  the  general  secretary  as  a  permanent  birthday 
record,  so  that  the  member's  birthday  is  known,  no  mat- 
ter how  many  times  he  has  been  promoted  or  in  what 
department  he  may  be. 

The  card  is  useful  for  many  purposes,  but  one  use 
should  never  be  neglected.  It  should  act  as  a  reminder 
to  send  a  birthday  greeting  to  the  pupil.  Let  it  be  re- 
membered, too,  that  the  greeting  should  be  sent  just  at 
the  proper  time.     This  is  the  card; 


•inTMOAV 


0*Tt  


Note. — Form  3  of  this  system  is  an  exact  duplicate  of 
form  2  in  everything  except  color.  V\Tien  a  person  leaves 
the  school  and  afterwards  returns,  his  record  from  the 
time  of  his  return  is  kept  on  a  card  of  a  color  different 
from  that  of  form  2.     Form  2  is  white;  3  is  green. 

The  following  cards  and  envelopes,  published  by  the 
Westminster  Press,  explain  themselves: 

54 


THE  SECRETARY 


ENROLLMENT    CARD 

NuiMbar 
Roll    1    CI«M 

o.t.«,E«H.iu«.«t              g^^^^Y   SCHOOL 

M* Dm'       v«. -Ctiurcli 

Loft  tho  Schoot-Oate„^ . w.Why ■ 

TM  wt4T«iii«*a«  fiiw  »><.4..  >•.                                                                                    TKC  wttTHi»Tm<tiAauM«iv>tM     1 

PUPIL'S  ATTENDANCE  CARD   FOR  THE  SECRETARY 

SCHOOL 

GRADE 

Son  lor 
Intermedlat* 
Junior 
Primary 

Ent«r« 

...._.„...^,.._._^ . ..Church                 \lll 

IBIft 

d  School 

Number 
Roll             Cl>s« 

MoDtb                                           IM/                                           Vmi 

Addrfls*  1  .                                          .,...- —    _  ..   ..    ..          

1st  Quarter 

2nd  Quarter 

3rd  Quarter           |           4th  Quarter         | 

Jan      12   3   4   5 
Fab        12    3   4 

Mar      12    3    4    6 

April    12    3    4    6 
May      12    3    4    5 
June    12    3    4    6 

July     /   2    3    4    5 
Aug       12    3    4    6 
Sept.  12    3    4    6 

Oct.     12    3    4    6 
Nov      12    3    4    6 
Deo.    12    3   4   6 

..............  C...  MOO .1.        i 

BIBLE  CLASS  ENROLLwfENT  CARD 


NAME. -...„ ,...^_..„„,CT. 

ADDAESS , ^.- 

INTRODUCtO   •» ^ .; 

Church  rclatioh ^ 


......a.......  DATE   OF   CnROLLMCHT. 


55 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 


TEACHER'S   ATTENDANCE   CARD 

'OR  THE  SECRETARY 

GRADE     „„.^. 

er.unni 

Senior 

»o7""'**     ■ Church 

Primary 

1911 
1912 
1913 
Number 
Ron       1      Clasa 

MoDik                                     Dif                                     Ye«l 

1                          1 



2nd  Quarter 

3rd  Quarter 

4th  Quarter 

Jan.    12    3   4ft 
Fab.^1    2   3   4 
Mar.    1    2    3   4   ft 

April    12    3    4    5 
May      12    3   4    6 
June    12    3    4    5 

July     1    2    3    4    S 
Aug.     12    3   4   5 
Sept.  12-346 

Oot.     12    3   4   6 
Nov.      12    3    4    5 
Deo.     12    3   4    6 

'"•    •"'-"••   '•••♦.    '-"  .    '*■                                                                                                                       '-    «"-...-.    .«. T..            1 

BmXHDAY  RECORD 

Name .— 

K-. ....- ^     ..^.„     .._.... 

ilfon/A^«-.«««-. 

Aii^fftf 

Day         . 

Year 

Department  — 

.._ 

Entered 

J9          aass        -    . 

TfUfher 

ProTJwtions  .~-. 

1 

yKe'nnmaaik.rts**x»!f%fat  »w 


TEACHER'S  CLASS  ENVELOPE. 


CLASS  NO 


Teacher.    " 

INSTRUCTIONS: 

These  envelopes  will  be  distributed  to  the  respective  teachers  atevfery 
Sunday  School  session,  each  envelope  containing  all  the  cards  for  that 
class,  viz:— one  for  each  pupil  (also  to-day's  Report  Slip). 

The  Teacher  will  remove  from  the  envelope  the  cards  of  absent  pupils, 
leaving  only  those  of  pupils  present  at  the  session  in  the  envelope. 

The  Secretary  will  coUect  the  envelopes  and  the  cards  of  the  absent 
pupils,  and  after  punching  the  space  for  that  Sunday,  he  will  replace 
the  cards  in  the  envelope,  which  he  retains  until  the  next  week.. 

Under  no  circumstences  destroy  a  card;  ase  the  To-day's  Report  Slip 
to  report  to  the  Secretary  when  a  pupil  has  left  the  School  with  the  date 
and  cause  of  leaving.  If  a  pupil  enters  the}' class,  report  it  to  the  secret 
tary,  and  if  the  pupil  is  tram  another  class  or  department  of  tte  School, 
be  very  particular  to  mention  it. 

Revise  the  list  of  your  pupils  at  the  end  of  «vfery  quarter. 

*"*  ""^  •»•  The Westralnator  Card  Itaoord  Syvtanx 


56 


IV 

HIS   REPORTS 

What  advertising  is  to  the  well-regulated  business, 
reports  are  to  the  Sunday  school:  they  keep  the  members 
intelligently  informed  of  what  is  going  on,  they  show  rea- 
sons for  encouragement,  and  they  point  out  where  in- 
creased effort  must  be  put  forth  in  order  to  maintain 
present  standards  and  go  forward  to  higher  achievements. 
While  the  secretary  is  not  the  only  oflBcer  who  has  it  in 
his  power  to  benefit  the  school  by  his  reports,  those  given 
by  him  are  of  the  utmost  importance.  The  secretary's 
reports  are  of  many  kinds  and  should  be  made  to  various 
agencies  and  individuals. 

In  the  Superintendent's  Council. — ^The  Superintendent's 
Council  is  composed  of  a  small  number  of  officers  of  the 
school.  It  is  called  by  other  names,  such  as  The  Super- 
intendent's Cabinet,  The  Superintendent's  Advisory 
Committee,  or  The  Executive  Committee.  Its  chief 
function  is  to  be  well  informed  concerning  the  work  of 
all  departments  of  the  school,  and  to  plan  ahead  in  such 
a  way  that  the  school  may  be  kept  on  its  highest  plane 
of  efficiency.  The  secretary  should  be  a  member  of  tliis 
Council.  To  it  he  should  render  at  its  regular  meetings 
reports  giving  facts  concerning  the  school's  condition 
and  needs.  From  time  to  time  he  should  furnish  informa- 
tion on  which  may  be  based  intelligent  action  by  the  Coun- 

57 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

cil  in  planning  for  the  development  of  the  work  of  the 
school. 

In  Teachers*  Meetings. — Whatever  meetings  are  held  in 
connection  with  the  Sunday  school  for  the  study  of  the 
lesson  and  instruction  in  principles  of  teaching,  there 
should  be  in  addition  regular  meetings  for  the  purpose  of 
transacting  the  business  of  the  school.  Ordinarily,  such 
meetings  are  held  once  a  month.  An  annual  meeting 
should  also  be  held,  at  which  the  work  of  the  year  is  re- 
viewed and  the  work  of  the  coming  year  previewed. 
To  these  business  meetings  should  come  suggestions  from 
the  Council.  In  many  cases  it  is  wise  for  the  Council 
to  work  out  plans  of  procedure  so  that  very  much  time 
may  not  be  spent  in  the  teachers'  meetings  in  discussing 
unimportant  details.  At  these  teachers*  meetings  the 
secretary's  reports  will  furnish  data  on  which  intelligent 
action  may  be  based.  Other  reports  given  by  him  should 
indicate  whether  plans  adopted  have  been  helpful  or  other- 
wise. 

To  the  School. — Many  Sunday  schools  receive  a  report 
from  the  secretary  concerning  the  attendance  of  the  Sunday 
preceding.  A  better  plan,  and  one  which  is  successfully 
carried  out  in  some  schools,  is  for  the  secretary  to  report 
toward  the  close  of  the  session  what  has  actually  taken 
place  in  the  school  on  that  day.  The  following  facts 
should  be  included  in  such  a  report,  which  may  be  varied 
according  to  the  size  of  the  school: 

The  attendance  in  each  department — ^teachers,  boys, 
girls,  men,  women;  the  attendance  of  oflScers;  the  num- 
ber of  visitors;  the  number  of  tardy  officers,  teachers  and 

58 


THE  SECRETARY 

pupils;  the  total  attendance;  the  per  cent  of  attendance  to 
enrollment  for  the  day  and  for  the  corresponding  day  of 
the  previous  year;  the  offering  for  the  day,  for  the  previous 
Sunday  and  for  the  corresponding  Sunday  of  the  previous 
year;  remarks  as  to  weather,  unusual  circumstances,  etc. 

For  smaller  schools,  the  following,  taken  from  Fer- 
gusson's  Ideal  Record  for  Small  Sunday  Schools,  is  sug- 
gestive: 

Special  reports  should  be  made  from  time  to  time  in 
order  to  tell  the  members  of  the  school  what  has  been 
accomplished,  or  to  spur  them  on  to  attempting  greater 
things  in  their  school  life  and  work.  Reports  put  in  at- 
tractive form  and  hung  in  accessible  places  in  the  school- 
room or  building  often  produce  marked  results;  for  all 
interested  may  consult  these  reports  at  their  leisure  and 
make  helpful  deductions  as  the  result  of  studying  them. 

To  the  Departments. — In  a  large  school  each  department 
will  naturally  have  its  own  secretary,  who  will  keep  in  avail- 
able form  the  records  of  that  department.  The  general 
secretary  of  the  school,  however,  will  also  keep  records 
of  all  departments,  for  the  school  must  be  considered  as  a 
whole.  From  time  to  time  the  secretary  will  report  con- 
cerning the  various  departments  as  a  whole,  or  will  make 
reports  to  departments  of  facts  or  figures  concerning  other 
departments. 

To  the  Superintendent. — ^The  progressive  superintendent 
uses  his  eyes  incessantly  in  order  to  keep  informed  concern- 
ing the  condition  of  his  school.    By  close  and  intelligent  ob- 

59 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

servation  he  is  able  frequently  to  understand  just  what  is 
needed  in  order  to  prevent  deterioration  in  certain  direc- 
tions, and  also  to  prepare  for  advancement  in  other  direc- 
tions. Most  helpful  to  him  will  be  reports  furnished  by 
the  secretary,  who  deals  largely  with  jBgures.  There 
should  be,  therefore,  not  only  the  closest  harmony  between 
superintendent  and  secretary,  but  the  latter  should  be 
on  the  alert  to  help  the  former  by  furnishing  him  data  on 
which  to  base  intelligent  thought  and  action. 

To  Other  Officers.— The  other  officers  of  the  Sunday 
school  may  desire  information  which  the  secretary  can 
rightly  furnish  from  his  records.  Such  information 
should  always  be  forthcoming  when  asked  for,  and  at 
times  should  be  given  before  the  request  is  made.  For 
example,  the  librarian  of  the  Sunday  school  may  get 
figures  from  the  secretary  which  will  enable  him  to  de- 
cide whether  the  library  is  being  made  use  of  by  the  school. 
The  treasurer  may  obtain  statistics  which  will  help  him 
in  appealing  to  the  school  for  the  funds  for  which  he  is 
responsible. 

To  the  Denomination. — Those  who  have  had  much  to 
do  with  the  compilation  of  denominational  statistics  are 
tempted  to  lose  faith  in  human  nature.  They  have  found 
that  it  is  very  difficult  to  get  figures  from  some  churches, 
and  they  have  also  discovered  that  the  figures  furnished  are 
not  always  as  reliable  as  they  should  be.  In  many  cases 
the  denominational  statistics  include  those  of  the  Sunday 
school.  Hence,  the  secretary  of  the  school  may  do  much, 
not  only  for  his  denomination  but  for  the  Church  at  large, 
by  furnishing  to  those  who  have  the  right  to  ask  for  them 

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THE  SECRETARY 

correct  and  up-to-date  reports  of  the  facts  of  his  Sunday 
school. 

To  the  Organized  Work. — If  the  Sunday  school  is  situ- 
ated in  a  city,  there  is  probably  a  city  or  county  interdenom- 
inational Sunday-school  association  which  asks  for  statistics 
of  every  school  within  its  bounds.  These  figures  are  not 
asked  for  capriciously  or  thoughtlessly.  It  is  of  import- 
ance that  accurate  figures  should  be  obtained  and  passed 
on,  so  that  the  world  may  be  kept  informed  as  to  the  true 
numerical  status  of  the  Sunday  school  as  an  institution. 
Sometimes  it  is  a  state  association  or  even  the  Interna- 
tional Sunday  School  Association  that  asks  for  figures. 
The  Christian  secretary  should  consider  it  his  privilege  as 
well  as  duty  to  furnish  such  figures,  so  that  reports  may  be 
correct. 


61 


HIS   RELATIONSHIPS 

Next  to  the  superintendent,  the  secretary  comes  into 
most  frequent  and  closest  relationship  with  the  largest 
number  of  persons  in  the  Sunday  school.  Either  per- 
sonally or  through  his  assistants  he  should  be  in  constant 
and  helpful  contact  with  all  departments  of  the  school. 
His  office  should  combine  the  functions  of  a  bureau  of 
information  and  a  bureau  of  exchange.  The  personality 
of  the  secretary  will  determine  his  relationship  with  the 
various  individuals  and  agencies  with  which  he  is  officially 
brought  into  contact. 

To  the  Superintendent. — Just  as  the  engineer  is  indis- 
pensable to  the  captain  of  a  steamboat,  the  secretary  ought 
to  be  the  dependable  helper  of  the  superintendent  of  the 
Sunday  school.  The  relationship  between  these  two  should 
be  cordial  and  responsive.  While  the  superintendent  gives 
the  secretary  due  credit  for  his  efforts,  the  latter  should 
act  on  the  theory  that  he  is  to  afford  every  possible  assist- 
ance to  the  former.  When  either  officer  stands  on  his 
rights,  the  school  suffers;  when  both  forget  self  in  the  effort 
to  help  each  other,  the  school  is  greatly  benefited.  A 
little  of  the  milk  of  human  kindness  helps  marvelously 
even  in  the  routine  work  of  the  Sunday  school. 

To  the  Assistants.— Even  in  the  smallest  Sunday  school 
the  secretary  should  endeavor  to  have  an  assistant.   If  there 

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THE  SECRETARY 

is  not  enough  work  for  two  persons,  an  assistant  is  essential. 
There  are  times  when  the  secretary  is  absent;  then  the 
assistant,  who  has  had  some  experience,  can  carry  on  the 
secretary's  work  and  the  school  need  not  suffer.  The 
secretary  may  move  away  or  he  may  be  disabled.  No 
time  is  wasted  in  the  endeavor  to  secure  a  successor  where 
an  assistant  has  been  broken  in.  In  large  schools  there 
should  be  assistants  in  sufficient  numbers  to  do  the  neces- 
sary secretarial  work  so  that  no  one  person  will  be  unduly 
burdened  with  it.  While  the  secretary  must  necessarily 
direct  his  assistants,  all  his  deahngs  with  them  should 
be  with  that  love  that  suffereth  long  and  is  kind,  that 
vaunteth  not  itself,  that  is  not  puffed  up,  that  is  not 
easily  provoked  and  that  endureth  all  things. 

To  the  Substitutes. — In  a  great  railway  system  there  is 
not  only  an  assistant  ready  to  take  the  place  of  everyone 
who  occupies  an  important  position,  in  the  event  of  his 
disability,  but  there  is  a  substitute  ready  in  an  emergency 
to  take  the  place  of  the  assistant.  This  arrangement  is 
necessary,  for  no  one  can  predict  what  may  occur  on  a 
railway.  In  addition  to  his  assistant  the  secretary  should 
have  a  substitute  ready  at  any  time  to  take  the  place  of 
the  latter.  The  number  of  substitutes  should  at  least 
equal  the  number  of  assistants.  The  aim  of  the  secre- 
tary should  be  to  instruct  and  encourage  these  substitutes 
so  that  they  shall  be  ready  and  willing  to  assume  responsi- 
bility when  the  necessity  for  doing  so  arises. 

To  the  Members  of  the  School. — "Come  to  me  when  you 
want  anything  and  I  shall  do  the  best  I  can  to  help  you" 
is  an  expression  that  should  indicate  the  relationship  of  the 

63 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

secretary  to  other  oflBcers  of  the  school,  to  teachers  and 
to  pupils.  His  manifested,  sincere  desire  to  be  helpful 
will  encourage  others  to  come  to  him,  and  in  return  he  will 
find  that  others  are  willing  to  cooperate  with  him  when  he 
desires  assistance.  The  secretary  who  is  careful  to  main- 
tain a  cordial  relationship  with  all  the  members  of  the 
school  will  rarely  have  to  complain  that  they  do  not  re- 
spond to  his  requests.  The  secretary  who  is  badly 
treated  by  his  fellow  workers  should  look  into  a  mirror 
to  ascertain  why  people  are  not  friendly  to  him. 

To  the  Church. — ^The  Sunday  school  is  a  department  of 
the  church.  Everything  that  can  be  done  to  emphasize 
the  school's  relationship  to  the  church  helps  both  school 
and  church.  The  secretary  may  do  much  good  by  furnish- 
ing to  the  pastor  and  to  the  church  oflficers  such  reports 
as  will  keep  the  church  membership  informed  concerning 
the  school.  He  should  be  in  a  position  to  bring  to  the 
school  facts  and  suggestions  that  will  keep  its  members 
interested  in  the  church.  The  cordial  relationship  that 
should  exist  between  church  and  Sunday  school  may  be 
cemented  by  a  secretary  who  appreciates  how  necessary 
such  a  union  is  in  the  work  of  the  kingdom  of  God. 

To  Institutes. — ^The  day  has  come  in  some  places  when 
the  work  of  the  Sunday-school  secretary  receives  proper 
consideration  at  conventions  and  institutes.  As  the  vision 
of  the  value  of  his  work  broadens,  more  attention  will 
be  paid  to  his  office  in  the  large  and  the  small  gatherings 
of  Sunday-school  workers.  A  conference  of  secretaries 
ought  to  be  held  in  connection  with  every  county  and 
every  state  convention.    When  such  conferences  are  held 

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THE  SECRETARY 

the  secretary  should  make  much  of  the  opportunity  of 
helping  and  of  being  helped.  An  alert  secretary  will  join 
with  his  fellow  secretaries  in  the  endeavor  to  hold  such 
conferences  where  they  have  not  yet  become  the  fashion, 
for  the  interchange  of  ideas  and  the  comparison  of  methods 
will  benefit  greatly  the  schools  represented. 

To  Visitors. — In  a  well-regulated  school  in  a  large  city 
there  is  a  reception  committee.  A  member  of  this  commit- 
tee greets  every  visitor  to  the  school  and  seats  him  where 
he  may  have  a  good  view  of  what  is  going  on.  After  the 
opening  devotional  services  there  is  a  time  set  for  visiting 
the  various  departments.  Each  visitor  is  asked  if  there 
is  any  department  in  which  he  is  especially  interested 
or  concerning  which  he  would  like  particular  infor- 
mation. Frequently  the  desire  is  expressed  for  a  visit 
to  the  secretary's  room,  for  the  visitor  has  heard  how 
carefully  the  records  are  kept.  The  visitor  is  not  dis- 
appointed; he  not  only  receives  many  hints  that  he  can 
apply  in  his  own  work,  but  he  is  so  courteously  treated 
by  the  secretary  and  his  assistants  that  he  leaves  the 
room  with  a  very  greatly  enlarged  conception  of  how  help- 
ful a  secretary  may  be,  not  only  to  his  own  school  but  also 
to  agencies  and  individuals  outside  the  local  church. 


65 


VI 

HIS   NOTEBOOK 

Much  has  been  said  and  a  little  has  been  written  con- 
cerning the  superintendent's  notebook.  Equally  neces- 
sary and  valuable  is  a  well-kept  notebook  for  the  secre- 
tary. The  difference  between  efficiency  and  inefficiency, 
between  helpfulness  and  harmfulness,  is  often  explained 
by  the  secretary's  dependence  on  his  notes  or  on  his  mem- 
ory. There  are  a  few  individuals  whose  memory  is  so 
well  trained  and  so  constantly  exercised  in  the  proper  man- 
ner that  they  are  exempt  from  the  notebook  habit,  but 
until  their  number  is  vastly  increased  recommendations 
concerning  this  much-needed  adjunct  to  successful  work 
in  the  secretary's  department  are  in  order. 

Where  shall  the  secretary  of  the  Sunday  school  use  his 
notebook? 

In  School. — As  he  goes  from  class  to  class,  as  he  listens 
to  individuals  seeking  information  or  help,  as  he  observes 
the  various  devotional  and  special  services  of  the  school, 
as  he  attends  the  meetings  of  the  Council  and  of  the 
teachers,  as  he  acts  on  committees,  his  ever-ready  book 
will  enable  him  to  jot  down  notes,  to  be  written  out  more 
fully  when  there  is  time,  and  to  be  considered  carefully 
and  acted  upon  when  the  proper  occasion  arrives. 

Moreover,  a  reference  to  the  notebook  will  recall  what 
might  otherwise  be  forgotten,  and  its  hints  will  prove  at 

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THE  SECRETARY 

times  just  what  is  necessary  to  throw  Hght  on  a  perplexing 
subject,  to  suggest  the  best  course  of  action  when  in  doubt 
or  to  give  the  information  that  is  so  helpful. 

At  Home. — Of  course,  the  sort  of  secretary  we  have  in 
mind  thinks  of  his  work  and  plans  for  it  outside  of  the 
school  session  as  well  as  during  the  hour  itself.  He  does 
not  leave  his  notebook  in  his  desk,  but  carries  it  in  his 
pocket.  When  suggestions  that  may  prove  beneficial 
to  the  Sunday  school  flash  through  his  mind  as  a  result  of 
prayer,  of  thought,  of  conversation,  of  reading  or  of  study, 
he  makes  them  usable  by  appropriate  entries  in  his  book, 
which  are  afterwards  put  into  more  permanent  form  and 
carefully  consulted. 

But  this  is  not  all.  From  time  to  time  the  secretary 
must  carefully  look  over  his  notes  in  order  to  ascertain 
whether  he  has  made  the  best  possible  use  of  them.  This 
rereading  and  reviewing  of  his  memoranda  will  convince 
him  that  it  is  very  easy  to  forget  entries  of  value,  and  that 
seemingly  trivial  matters  are  of  great  importance  when 
put  into  their  proper  places. 

Abroad. — If  that  superintendent  is  foolish  who  never 
finds  time  to  visit  Sunday  schools  other  than  his  own, 
what  shall  be  said  of  the  secretary  who  never  goes  abroad 
to  learn  what  others  are  doing?  When  he  visits  another 
Sunday  school,  when  he  talks  to  a  brother  secretary,  when 
he  attends  a  meeting  of  secretaries  or  other  Sunday-school 
workers,  the  developing  secretary  makes  notes  for  future 
study,  verification  or  experiment.  Business  methods  are 
bristling  with  suggestions  for  him  who  vAW  note  them 
and  at  the  proper  time  adopt  what  is  applicable  to  his 

67 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

work.    He  who  runs  may  read,  but  he  will  soon  forget 
unless  he  makes  notes. 

If  you  have  formed  the  notebook  habit,  examine  the 
book  and  yourself  to  determine  whether  or  not  you  have 
made  the  best  use  of  your  notes.  If  you  have  not  formed 
this  habit,  begin  at  once  to  develop  it.  Keep  two  note- 
books for  Sunday-school  suggestions:  a  small  book  to  be 
always  at  hand,  in  which  original  entries  are  made,  and  a 
larger  book,  in  which  some  notes  may  be  preserved  until 
they  are  no  longer  of  value. 


68 


VII 

HIS   MATERIAL   AND  LITERATURE 

The  following  records  are  published  by  the  Westminister 
Press: 

The  Westminister  Ideal  Class  Book  contains  space  for 
twenty  names  and  a  record  for  a  year. 

The  Ideal  Secretary's  Record  for  Small  Sunday  Schools, 
by  E.  Morris  Fergusson.  This  record  is  for  schools  of 
not  more  than  ten  classes. 

Tomlinson's  Improved  Sabbath-school  Record  and 
Pocket  Registry. 

The  Westminister  Ideal  Sunday-school  Record.  A 
record  of  a  school  of  twenty-five  classes  for  four  years. 
Every  department  of  a  modern  Sunday  school  is  pro- 
vided for.  WTien  properly  kept,  all  information  needed 
on  any  occasion  will  be  at  hand. 

From  time  to  time  helpful  articles  on  the  work  of  the 
Sunday-school  secretary  appear  in  periodicals  devoted 
to  Sunday-school  work.  By  studying  the  advertisements 
of  these  periodicals  the  wide-awake  secretary  will  get 
many  valuable  hints. 

No  secretary  who  wishes  to  make  the  most  of  himself 
can  afford  to  fail  to  read  Chapters  III  and  VII  of  How 
to  Conduct  a  Sunday  School,  by  Marion  Lawrance. 

"From  a  Superintendent's  Notebook"  is  the  title  of  a 
chapter  in  Sunday  School  Success,  by  Amos  R.  Wells,  that 
will  furnish  many  hints  to  the  inquiring  secretary. 

69 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

The  Modern  Sunday  School  in  Principle  and  Practice, 
by  Henry  Frederick  Cope,  has  a  paragraph  on  each  of 
the  following  officers: 

General  Secretary. 

Corresponding  Secretary. 

Enrollment  Secretary. 

Division  Secretaries. 

Report  Cards. 

Reports  and  Announcements. 

How  to  Make  the  Sunday  School  Go,  by  A.  T.  Brewer, 
has  a  chapter  headed  "The  Secretary,"  which  is  very 
suggestive.  Here  is  one  paragraph  of  it:  "This  officer 
should  be  a  devoted  Christian,  punctual,  tireless,  affable, 
accurate,  quick,  sympathetic,  impartial,  loyal,  generous, 
versatile,  and  he  should  have  a  faultless  memory." 
Truly,  this  is  a  standard  to  which  but  few  attain! 

A  Model  Superintendent,  by  H.  Clay  Trumbull,  con- 
tains an  illuminating  section  headed,  "Among  the  Rec- 
ords," in  which  the  importance  of  the  secretary's  work 
is  clearly  and  minutely  set  forth. 

The  Sunday  School  of  To-day,  by  Dr.  Wm.  Walter 
Smith,  devotes  several  pages  to  "The  Secretarial  Force." 
Dr.  Smith  urges  the  appointment  of  a  Custodian  of  Sup- 
plies, a  Custodian  of  Equipment  and  a  Superintendent 
of  Absentees. 

A  Manual  of  Sunday-school  Methods,  by  Dr.  Addison 
Pinneo  Foster,  contains  suggestions  concerning  the  sec- 
retary's duties,  his  records  and  his  qualifications. 

The  Organized  Sunday  School,  by  J.  W.  Axtell,  is  a 
working  manual  for  officers.  The  chapter  on  "  The  Secre- 
tary" shows  how  important  this  officer  is,  what  he  is  to 
do  for  the  welfare  of  the  school  and  how  he  is  to  do  it. 

70 


THE  SECRETARY 

It  contains  two  suggestive  cuts — one  depicting  an  attend- 
ance record;  the  other,  an  attendance  chart. 

Sunday-school  Records,  Reports  and  Recognition,  by  E. 
A.  Fox,  contains  much  that  is  helpful. 

By  examining  these  and  similar  books  on  Sunday- 
school  work  the  secretary  may  test  his  own  methods  and 
receive  inspiration  for  progressive  service  in  behalf  of 
the  great  cause  represented  by  the  Sunday  school. 


71 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 


III 
THE  TREASURER  AND  THE  LIBRARIAN 

BY 

AMOS  R.  WELLS 


73 


THE  TREASURER  AND  THE  LIBRARIAN 


I 

THE  TREASURER 

Why  is  it  that  so  often  we  lavish  care  upon  the  selection 
of  a  Sunday-school  superintendent,  are  measurably  careful 
in  our  choice  of  a  secretary,  but  when  we  come  to  the  office 
of  treasurer  fill  it  with  the  first  person  that  pops  into  our 
heads?  Is  this  hke  the  money-heeding,  practical  people 
we  are  supposed  to  be?    Is  it  even  businesslike? 

The  Necessity  of  Care  in  His  Selection. — ^The  money 
interests  of  the  school  are  very  important.  If  the  officers 
and  teachers  lack  proper  tools  to  work  with,  if  they  are 
kept  from  taking  advance  steps  from  lack  of  supplies,  the 
fiber  of  the  entire  school  will  relax.  If  the  school  finances 
are  allowed  to  fall  into  disorder,  nothing  short  of  scandals 
will  arise.  Hardly  anything  will  so  injure  the  reputation 
of  the  school  as  financial  irregularities  or  even  the  sus- 
picion of  them.  For  every  reason  it  is  quite  necessary  to 
choose  for  treasurer  a  wide-awake,  earnest,  competent 
and  respected  business  man  (or  woman).  Yet  careless- 
ness in  this  important  particular  is  rather  the  rule  than 
the  exception. 

This  is  the  more  surprising  when  we  remember  that  the 
office  of  treasurer  affords  a  rare  opportunity  to  place  a 
"plain  business  man"  in  a  prominent  position  in  the  Sun- 

75 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

day  school,  and  that  usually  just  the  right  man  may  easily 
be  persuaded  to  take  up  the  congenial  work.  It  does  not 
require  speech-making,  but  calls  for  just  the  abilities  he 
possesses  and  exercises  every  day  in  his  business.  Under 
the  circumstances  to  put  a  tyro  into  the  position  of  treas- 
urer is  a  fooHsh  blunder. 

The  Requirements.— What  we  want,  then,  as  Sunday- 
school  treasurer  is  a  man  (or  a  woman)  of  character,  of 
such  standing  among  the  business  men  of  the  church  that 
he  can  readily  obtain  subscriptions  from  them  for  the 
special  needs  of  the  school.  This  implies,  of  course,  that 
he  is  a  capable  manager  of  his  own  affairs,  or  he  would  not 
be  regarded  as  fit  to  conduct  the  business  of  a  Sunday 
school.  It  implies  also  that  he  has  tact,  vigor,  persever- 
ance, orderliness,  accuracy — all  the  fundamental  qualities 
necessary  for  business  success.  It  goes  without  saying 
that  he  must  be  absolutely  honest  and  an  out-and-out 
Christian.  Dozens  of  men  in  your  church  answer  to  this 
description,  and  you  may  lay  your  hands  upon  one  of 
them  for  treasurer,  thus  binding  him  to  the  interests  of 
the  school  and  winning  a  powerful  ally. 

Magnifying  His  Office. — But  urge  your  treasurer  to 
magnify  his  ofl5ce.  Tell  him  before  you  elect  him  that 
you  want  no  mere  accountant,  no  mere  recorder.  You 
want  some  one  who  will  get  the  money  as  well  as  set  it 
down  and  pay  it  out.  You  want  a  treasurer  who  will  be 
a  vital  factor  in  the  development  of  the  school.  If  his 
predecessor  has  not  been  of  this  type,  he  is  not  to  imi- 
tate him  in  this  respect,  but  he  is  to  strike  out  for  himself 
in  new  ways.     In  other  words,  urge  him  to  consider  the 

76 


THE  TREASURER  AND  THE  LIBRARIAN 

Sunday  school  as  a  new  business  which  he  is  to  open  up 
and  "make  a  big  thing."  He  will  appreciate  such  an 
enterprise  far  more  than  a  namby-pamby  task. 

The  treasurer,  on  being  elected,  will  consider  first  how 
much  money  he  should  raise,  and  for  what  purposes  it  is 
needed.  To  learn  this  he  will  consult  the  superintendent 
and  his  cabinet,  including  all  the  teachers. 

The  Sunday-School  Budget. — ^The  school  should  have 
a  regular  budget,  comprising  its  gifts  to  missions  and  other 
causes,  the  estimated  expenditures  for  each  department 
of  the  school  and  for  the  school  at  large,  and  all  special 
expenditures  that  it  may  be  desired  to  make,  as  for  a  ster- 
eopticon  or  a  set  of  stereoscopes  and  their  photographs. 

This  budget  will  be  made  out  with  great  care.  If  the 
treasurer  has  former  budgets  to  guide  him,  all  the  better; 
but  too  many  schools  have  been  in  the  habit  of  feeling 
their  way  through  the  year  with  no  financial  prospectus 
to  follow. 

Such  a  budget  will  constitute  the  treasurer's  program 
of  work.  He  will  place  it  before  the  church  in  asking  for 
money  from  the  church  treasury.  He  will  present  it  to 
business  men  in  seeking  special  gifts.  He  will  use  it  for 
the  school  in  determining  a  proper  standard  for  their  con- 
tributions. The  budget  will  not  be  so  large  as  to  be  dis- 
couraging and  all  but  preclude  success,  and  it  will  be 
large  enough,  within  reason,  to  furnish  an  incentive  for 
exertion  and  promptings  to  liberality. 

The  Treasurer's  Funds.— The  treasurer,  ordinarily,  has 
three  sources  of  supply  for  his  treasury.  The  first  of  these 
is  the  church.  That  the  church  should  appropriate 
money  for  its  Sunday  school  would  seem  to  need  no  argu- 

77 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

ment,  and  yet  not  all  churches  make  such  an  appropria- 
tion, and  many  fail  to  appropriate  with  sufficient  liberality. 
The  treasurer,  aided  by  the  superintendent,  should  ap- 
proach the  church  officers,  especially  the  church  treasurer 
and  Finance  Committee  and  the  leading  church  members, 
and  endeavor  to  obtain  for  the  school  an  appropriation 
commensurate  with  the  means  of  the  church  and  the  work 
the  Sunday  school  should  be  doing  for  the  children  of  the 
church  and  the  community. 

It  may  be  necessary  to  urge  this  appropriation  in  some 
church  meeting  or  before  some  committee,  and  here  the 
superintendent  and  the  treasurer  may  well  speak  for  the 
school,  showing  what  the  school  is  doing,  what  more  it 
could  do  and  precisely  for  what  purposes  the  money  asked 
for  would  be  expended  if  granted.  Make  an  especial 
point  of  the  necessity,  if  the  young  are  to  be  trained  in  the 
art  of  giving,  that  the  greater  part  of  the  school  collections 
shall  be  given  to  benevolences,  to  the  various  denomina- 
tional boards  and  to  the  enterprises  of  the  local  church. 

Ask  for  every  cent  that  is  wanted  and  needed,  prepare 
your  plea  with  pains  and  present  it  with  energy.  Then 
accept  with  good  grace  what  the  church  gives,  making  so 
fine  use  of  it  that  the  church  will  gladly  give  more  next 
time.  To  this  end,  take  pains  throughout  the  year  to 
keep  the  church  informed,  fully  and  interestingly,  regard- 
ing the  work  which  the  school  is  accomplishing. 

The  second  source  of  money  for  the  school  is  the  sub- 
scription list  or  what  answers  to  it.  In  any  live  school 
the  necessity  will  frequently  arise  for  special  gifts,  that 
special  improvements  may  be  made.  These  may  not  have 
been  foreseen  when  the  school  budget  was  presented  to 
the  church;  or,  if  they  were  foreseen,  it  may  not  have 

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THE  TREASURER  AND  THE  LIBRARIAN 

been  wise  to  include  them  in  the  request  for  money  that 
was  presented  to  the  church. 

Every  Sunday-school  treasurer  should  have  or  should 
form  a  list  of  Sunday-school  supporters,  friends  of  the 
school  who  are  willing  to  prove  their  friendship  by  their 
purses.  It  may  be  thought  wise  to  constitute  these  into 
a  formal  company,  a  sort  of  board  of  directors  of  the 
school;  or,  it  may  be  best  to  leave  the  whole  matter 
flexible  and  informal. 

In  either  case  the  school  should  cultivate  these  generous 
friends,  and  the  treasurer  may  well  be  the  one  who  shall 
keep  them  informed  regarding  the  work  of  the  school, 
approaching  them  often  concerning  school  matters  that 
do  not  require  their  financial  aid,  but  only  their  sympa- 
thetic and  encouraging  presence.  A  school  with  such  a 
set  of  strong  backers,  enlarged  through  the  years  and  zeal- 
ously maintained,  is  well  insured  against  failure. 

The  third  source  of  the  Sunday-school  money  is  the 
school  itself,  as  a  whole — the  weekly  class  offerings.  As 
already  said,  it  is  best  for  the  children  that  these  offerings, 
in  the  main,  should  be  devoted  to  benevolent  objects, 
though  some  especial  need  of  the  school  may  now  and  then 
be  met  by  school  collections.  These  benevolent  objects 
should  be  as  diversified  as  possible,  so  as  to  acquaint  the 
pupils  with  many  worthy  objects,  though  not  so  diversi- 
fied that  they  will  become  confused  and  remember  nothing 
clearly.  Sometimes  the  object  of  the  offerings  may  be 
changed  as  often  as  every  two  weeks,  but  usually  every 
month  is  often  enough. 

Special  Objects. — The  objects  should  include  the  Sun- 
day-school board  of  the  denomination  and  its  home  and 

79 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

foreign  mission  boards,  and  perhaps  other  church  boards, 
if  the  denominational  work  is  more  finely  divided.  They 
may  also  include  local  charities.  They  should  certainly 
include  any  missionary  or  other  philanthropic  enterprise 
which  the  local  church  has  adopted  as  its  own.  The 
Sunday-school  cabinet  should  choose  the  list  of  objects 
with  great  care,  and  it  is  not  at  all  necessary  that  it» 
should  be  altogether  the  same  from  year  to  year. 

Every  class  will  have  its  treasurer,  who  will  "take  up 
the  collection."  The  school  treasurer  may  well  hold  a 
meeting  of  these  young  treasurers,  talk  to  them  about 
the  importance  of  giving  to  the  Lord's  work,  and  urge 
them  to  push  the  matter  in  their  respective  classes.  Tell 
them,  however,  especially  if  there  are  in  the  school  many 
children  from  poor  families,  that  what  is  to  be  looked  after 
is  not  so  much  the  size  of  the  gifts  as  their  regularity,  and 
that  every  member  of  the  class  should  give  something. 
The  value  of  the  class  collection  envelope  system  is  so 
well  known  now  that  the  use  of  it  need  hardly  be  urged. 

The  Finance  Committee.— Any  treasurer  will  be  greatly 
helped  in  his  work  by  a  Finance  Committee,  and  in  a  large 
school  this  committee  is  almost  a  necessity.  The  Finance 
Committee  will  be  made  up  of  such  men  (and  women)  as 
the  treasurer  himself;  and  large  givers,  interested  in  the 
school,  may  be  closely  associated  with  the  work  by  ap- 
pointment to  this  committee.  The  committee  will  aid 
the  treasurer  in  obtaining  special  subscriptions  and  in 
obtaining  proper  sums  from  the  church  treasury. 

For  the  recording  of  these  various  sums  the  treasurer 
will  provide  himself  with  proper  books,  at  least  a  daybook, 
in  which  to  enter  the  money  in  chronological  order  as  it  is 

80 


THE  TREASURER  AND  THE  LIBRARIAN 

received  and  paid  out,  and  a  ledger  in  which  to  keep  sepa- 
rate accounts  with  the  various  Sunday-school  committees 
to  whose  chairmen  payments  are  frequently  made,  and 
with  the  church  treasurer,  through  whom,  probably,  the 
gifts  of  the  school  will  be  sent  to  the  various  objects  to 
which  the  school  contributes.  It  will  be  well  also  to  keep 
separate  accounts  with  the  various  objects  of  your  gifts, 
so  that  you  may  turn  at  once  to  the  complete  record  of  the 
school  with  relation  to  any  benevolence. 

Safeguards. — Of  course  the  treasurer  will  keep  his  own 
money  entirely  separate  from  the  money  of  the  school, 
to  a  cent.  Any  other  course  is  absolutely  dishonest,  and 
this  is  true  no  matter  how  small  the  amount  may  be. 
The  entire  sum  in  charge  of  the  treasurer  must  be  ready 
to  be  produced  at  any  time,  and  instantly. 

For  his  own  protection,  the  treasurer  will  insist  upon  a 
receipt  for  every  cent  he  pays  out,  and  these  vouchers  will 
be  kept  carefully  on  file.  The  Sunday-school  constitu- 
tion should  state  definitely  the  conditions  under  which  the 
treasurer  should  pay  out  money,  and  if  orders  from  the 
superintendent  or  secretary  are  required,  these  orders  will 
be  filed  with  the  receipts. 

Also  for  his  own  protection  the  treasurer  will  insist  that 
an  auditor  should  be  appointed  once  a  year  to  examine 
his  accounts  just  before  he  makes  his  annual  report  to  the 
school  and  the  church,  and  the  auditor's  report  will  imme- 
diately follow  the  treasurer's.  All  records  will  be  kept  in 
businesslike  form  that  will  be  approved  by  any  business 
man  appointed  as  auditor.  Carelessness  or  ignorance 
here  will  condemn  the  school  among  the  men  who  should 
be  the  most  liberal  givers  to  it.     Especially  is  it  necessary 

81 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

that  the  records  should  be  accurate  to  a  cent;  and  to  this 
end  the  treasurer  must  record  immediately  every  penny 
received  or  disbursed,  not  trusting  anything  to  his  memory 
or  postponing  any  clerical  work. 

It  will  add  much  to  the  reputation  of  the  school  if  the 
treasurer  is  very  prompt  in  paying  the  school  debts.  Re- 
ligious organizations  are  generally  considered  "slow  but 
sure"  in  the  matter  of  payments.  The  first  half  of  the 
characterization  is  a  discredit,  and  our  treasurers  should 
remove  it  as  far  as  possible.  Our  creditors  need  the  money 
promptly,  and  we  should  make  it  a  point  of  honor  to  see 
that  they  get  it. 

Making  Reports. — ^The  final  item  of  the  treasurer's 
duties  is  his  report.  He  reports  every  Sunday  the  offer- 
ing of  that  day,  with  such  additions  as  will  increase  in- 
terest in  giving.  He  should  report  the  state  of  the  treasury 
to  the  Sunday-school  ofiicers  often  enough  to  keep  them  in- 
formed if  the  offerings  are  falling  off.  And  once  a  year 
he  makes  a  report  to  the  Sunday  school  and  to  the  church. 
The  latter  reports  should  not  be  so  detailed  as  to  be  tire- 
some, and  yet  they  should  be  full  enough  to  give  a  clear 
idea  of  the  sources  of  income  and  the  principal  expendi- 
tures. 

It  is  well  to  report  every  Sunday,  for  a  while,  the  offering 
of  every  class.  This  must  be  done  in  writing,  using  a 
blackboard  or  a  large  sheet  of  manila  paper.  Letters 
and  figures  should  be  large  enough  to  be  read  easily  across 
the  room.  The  class  offerings  for  at  least  a  month  should 
be  shown  in  tabular  form  for  ready  comparison  and  for 
stimulating  interest  in  the  offerings. 

Usually,  however,  it  is  sufiicient  simply  to  report  totals, 

82 


THE  TREASURER  AND  THE  LIBRARIAN 

for  the  departments  or  for  the  entire  school.  The  totals 
for  the  preceding  Sunday  and  for  the  corresponding  Sun- 
day a  year  before  will  also  be  given  to  furnish  a  basis 
of  comparison. 

Brightness  and  originality  in  making  these  weekly 
reports  will  be  well  repaid.  *'Look  at  this!"  the  treasurer 
may  print  in  red  letters  as  preface  to  a  poor  report. 
"Fine!"  he  may  print  below  a  particulariy  good  showing. 
He  may  cover  the  figures  with  a  strip  of  paper  on  which 
he  has  printed  "I'm  ashamed  of  this,"  and  when  the  time 
for  his  report  comes  he  may  remove  the  paper  without  a 
word.  He  and  the  superintendent  may  stand  on  each 
side  of  the  report,  pointing  to  it  silently.  He  may  have 
the  school  repeat  the  figures  after  him,  to  impress  them  on 
their  memory.  He  may  have  the  banner  class  in  giving 
step  to  the  platform,  and  ask  the  school  to  rise  in  honor  of 
them.  Many  other  methods  will  suggest  themselves  as 
soon  as  the  treasurer  begins  to  try  to  brighten  his  report. 

But  in  conclusion  let  me  emphasize  what  I  have  already 
said,  that  what  we  are  seeking  from  the  children's  gifts 
is  not  income,  but  education.  We  want  to  teach  them  to 
give.  We  want  to  show  them  what  to  give  to.  We  want 
to  get  them  into  the  habit  of  giving  generously  and  sys- 
tematically. In  proportion  as  he  accomplishes  this,  the 
treasurer  will  be  a  glorious  success. 


S3 


II 

THE  LIBRARIAN 

The  Ideal  Librarian. — ^The  ideal  Sunday-school  libra- 
rian is  perhaps  more  difficult  to  find  than  even  the  ideal 
Sunday-school  superintendent.  This  is  not  because  the 
librarian  must  be  a  book-lover  and  well  acquainted  with 
books,  for  there  are  many  such;  but  he  must  be  able  to 
inspire  in  others  a  love  for  books  and  guide  them  into  the 
best  paths  of  literature,  and  that  is  a  rare  ability.  It 
implies  a  knowledge  of  human  nature  as  well  as  of  books; 
it  implies  charm  and  tact  and  ingenuity  and  enterprise 
and  perseverance;  in  short,  it  implies  all  the  qualities  of 
the  successful  merchant — thorough  familiarity  with  his 
goods  and  power  to  make  folks  want  them.  You  may  not 
be  able  to  find  the  ideal  librarian;  but  if  not,  then  you  must 
content  yourself  with  the  nearest  available  approximation 
thereto. 

I  wish  it  might  be  taken  for  granted  that  the  librarian 
would  read  all  the  books  in  the  library,  but  I  fear  that  this 
fundamental  qualification  must  be  insisted  on.  With  all 
the  books  the  librarian  must  be  thoroughly  familiar — 
books  for  the  Httle  folks  as  well  as  for  the  adults — if  he 
is  to  introduce  them  successfully  to  the  school. 

The  Library  Committee. — ^The  librarian  must  have  a 
wide  range  of  reading  outside  the  library,  that  he  may  not 
miss  the  best  books  for  the  library.  In  this  task  of  selection, 
however,  he  must  be  aided  by  a  Library  Committee,  which 

84 


THE  TREASURER  AND  THE  LIBRARIAN 

will  be  a  part  of  the  machinery  of  every  well-ordered 
school.  Men  as  well  as  women  should  be  members  of  this 
committee,  and  at  least  one  alert  pupil  for  every  depart- 
ment of  the  school,  preferably  a  boy  and  a  girl  from  each 
department.  The  last  stage  of  a  book's  acceptance  will 
be  its  interest  for  these  latter.  This  Library  Committee 
will  read  all  the  books  proposed  for  the  library,  and  no 
book  should  be  accepted  to  which  a  majority  of  the  com- 
mittee object  on  the  ground  of  moral  teachings  or  literary 
character  and  interest. 

Securing  the  Books. — The  librarian's  first  problem, 
especially  in  small  schools  with  little  money,  is  to  get  the 
books.  In  most  cases  it  will  be  possible  to  persuade  the 
church  Finance  Committee  to  set  apart  a  modest  sum  each 
year  for  additions  to  the  school  library;  or,  if  the  church 
makes  its  appropriation  in  a  lump  sum,  the  school  officers 
may  regularly  set  aside  a  sum  for  library  increase  and 
maintenance.  Private  gifts  of  money  may  also  be  sought 
if  the  Finance  Committee  of  the  school  is  willing  that  the 
librarian  should  make  a  little  canvass  for  the  purpose. 
Many  will  give  books  who  cannot  give  money.  The 
librarian  may  call  for  duplicates  from  private  libraries 
and  little-worn  copies  of  books  that  have  been  read  suf- 
ficiently by  the  owner.  A  book  social  may  be  held,  ad- 
mission to  which  is  a  book  for  the  library.  The  enter- 
tainment at  this  social  will  be  bookish  games,  such  as  the 
representation  of  the  names  of  famous  books  by  articles 
worn  on  the  clothing.  All  books  received  by  private  gift 
should  be  read  by  the  Library  Committee  and  passed  upon 
as  carefully  as  books  obtained  from  the  store  or  the  pub- 
lishers. 

85 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

It  is  almost  always  possible  for  schools  to  get  books  at 
reduced  prices.  Avoid,  however,  the  "sets"  that  are 
sometimes  offered  to  libraries,  bound  cheaply  and  uni- 
formly, and  containing,  with  some  good  books,  many 
others  of  very  inferior  character.  If  such  a  set  is  bought, 
make  every  volume  pass  muster  by  itself. 

Money  for  buying  new  books  may  be  obtained  from  a 
strictly  managed  system  of  fines  for  keeping  books  over 
time.  Explain  to  the  parents  the  use  made  of  the  fines 
and  they  will  be  entirely  willing  to  pay  them.  Promptness 
in  returning  books  will  be  encouraged  by  such  a  system, 
though  the  librarian  may  desire  to  encourage  tardiness! 

Help  from  the  Public  Library. — Some  public  libraries 
are  now  making  up  collections  of  perhaps  fifty  books  and 
lending  them  to  Sunday  schools.  The  collection  is  made 
up  on  consultation  with  the  school  librarian,  and,  within 
certain  limitations,  contains  just  what  books  the  latter 
may  select  from  the  public-library  catalogue.  The  col- 
lection remains  with  the  school  for  a  few  months,  and  is 
then  replaced  by  a  new  one.  It  contains  books  for  all 
ages,  and  is  a  most  useful  supplement  to  any  library. 
If  any  book  in  the  collection  proves  especially  popular,  a 
copy  may  be  purchased  for  the  permanent  library  of  the 
school.  If  books  are  lost  or  injured,  they  must,  of  course, 
be  replaced  by  the  school.  If  possible,  in  all  such  cases, 
the  parents  should  pay  for  the  books  which  their  children 
have  injured  or  lost. 

Book  Reviews  and  Catalogues. — For  learning  about  new 
books  that  are  really  worth  while  nothing  is  better  than 
the  reviews  printed  in  discriminating   periodicals.     One 

86 


THE  TREASURER  AND  THE  LIBRARIAN 

soon  learns  which  reviewers  to  trust.  It  is  also  essential 
to  obtain  descriptive  catalogues  from  all  the  publishers, 
and  they  will  be  glad  to  put  the  librarian  upon  their  list 
for  copies  of  all  their  announcements  of  new  books.  The 
librarian,  through  the  church  paper  and  in  other  ways, 
will  invite  suggestions  as  to  books  from  all  members  of  the 
church,  and  will  receive  many  valuable  hints  if  the  re- 
quest is  kept  before  the  church  members. 

The  Books  Required. — ^What  kinds  of  books  will  be 
placed  in  the  Sunday-school  library?  These  libraries 
to-day  are  very  different  from  the  old-time  type.  They 
are  far  wider  in  their  scope,  much  better  in  their  literary 
quality,  much  finer  in  their  influence.  The  modern 
Sunday-school  library  may  include  any  book  on  any  sub- 
ject that  will  awaken  minds  to  the  wonders  of  God's 
creation  and  furnish  a  stimulus  to  better  living.  Not  all 
the  books  will  be  technically  religious,  but  all  will  be  really 
and  profoundly  religious.  The  Sunday-school  library 
of  my  boyhood  was  largely  fiction,  and  fiction  of  a  peculiar 
"goody-goody"  t}^e  that  is  now  happily  obsolete.  I  read 
many  of  the  books,  but  I  do  not  recall  a  single  incident 
or  character.  At  the  same  time,  outside  the  school, 
I  was  reading  Irving,  Scott,  Dickens,  Thackeray,  Miss 
Muloch,  George  Macdonald, — yes,  and  Miss  Alcott, 
Trowbridge  and  "Oliver  Optic," — and  what  I  read 
"stuck." 

The  Sunday-school  library  will  contain  a  liberal  amount 
of  fiction,  but  fiction  of  the  very  best,  calculated  to  inform 
the  mind,  quicken  the  imagination  and  exalt  the  charac- 
ter by  unconscious  emulation  of  heroic  action.  Fiction 
is  pressed  upon  the  children  from  so  many  directions,  and 

87 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

it  is  so  often  corrupting  and  trivial,  that  the  Sunday- 
school  library  will  benefit  them  immensely  if  it  do  no  more 
than  introduce  them  to  the  best  sort  of  stories. 

The  Need  of  Biographies. — But  the  chief  work  of  the 
librarian  is  to  widen  the  children's  interest  (and  often  the 
interest  of  adults  as  well)  from  fiction  out  into  the  wide 
range  of  literature.  To  this  end  the  library  will  contain 
a  splendid  store  of  biographies.  Nothing  is  better  than 
the  lives  of  great  missionaries,  for  these  are  full  of  the 
dash  and  heroism  that  particularly  appeal  to  youth.  But 
add  the  lives  of  great  inventors,  reformers,  discoverers, 
statesmen,  rulers — any  real  leaders  of  men.  There  are 
fewer  volumes  of  history  that  will  be  read  by  the  young, 
but  they  are  to  be  found,  and  they  are  especially  valuable 
for  Sunday-school  libraries.  There  are  many  fascinating 
books  of  travel  which  the  young  folks  will  enjoy,  many 
books  of  popular  science,  many  volumes  of  poems,  many 
series  of  delightful  essays.  I  am  not  naming  specific 
books  because  I  should  not  know  where  to  stop. 

Two  Dozen  Books. — If  I  had  to  select  two  dozen  books 
for  a  Sunday-school  library  I  should  choose  two  volumes 
of  missionary  biography,  two  of  general  biography,  three 
volumes  of  popular  science,  one  each  of  history,  travel, 
poetry  and  essays,  and  thirteen  volumes  of  fiction.  I 
should  not  by  any  means  select  new  books  solely,  but 
many  of  these  should  be  the  old  and  standard  books  that 
will  always  be  fresh  and  vital. 

The  Reference  Library. — I  have  not  mentioned  books 
about  the  Bible  and  volumes  dealing  with  the  Sunday 

88 


THE  TREASURER  AND  THE  LIBRARIAN 

school  and  its  work,  because  these  should  be  placed  in  the 
reference  library,  which  should  be  a  popular  part  of  every 
school.  This  reference  library  will  be  under  the  care 
of  the  librarian,  who  will  see  that  it  is  thoroughly  used  by 
teachers  and  pupils.  The  reference  library  in  my  own 
Sunday  school  is  in  a  large  bookcase  in  the  prayer-meeting 
room,  kept  unlocked.  Anyone  may  take  out  a  book, 
merely  recording  the  title  of  the  book,  the  name  of  the 
borrower  and  the  date,  on  a  card,  which  is  to  be  deposited 
in  a  box  on  a  shelf.  When  a  book  is  returned  this  card 
is  torn  up. 

The  reference  library  will  contain  the  best  Bible  dic- 
tionary the  school  can  afford,  the  best  Bible  atlas  or  work 
on  Bible  geography,  the  best  set  of  commentaries  on  the 
entire  Bible,  the  most  valuable  works  on  Bible  customs 
and  travels  in  Bible  lands.  There  will  be  a  history  of 
Bible  times  and  works  on  the  history  of  our  English 
Bible,  with  accounts  of  excavations  in  Bible  lands.  There 
will  be  a  goodly  number  of  books  on  methods  of  teaching 
and  the  history  and  work  of  the  Sunday  school.  Add  to 
all  this  some  special  books  dealing  with  the  particular 
series  of  lessons  the  school  is  studying,  and  you  will  have 
a  collection  that  the  teachers  can  make  of  the  greatest 
assistance,  if  they  only  will.  Part  of  the  librarian's  busi- 
ness is  to  interest  the  teachers  and  older  pupils  in  the  ref- 
erence library  by  pointing  out  books  and  portions  of  books 
which  deal  helpfully  with  the  lesson  of  the  next  Sunday. 
This  may  best  be  done  in  the  teachers'  meetings. 

Help  on  the  Lessons. — Similarly,  the  librarian  will 
choose  books  from  the  general  library  of  the  school  that 
will  be  useful  in  connection  with  coming  lessons.     He 

89 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

may  make  his  selection  far  in  advance  and  post  the  list 
in  the  schoolroom,  stating  in  connection  with  each  book 
title  for  what  lesson  it  is  appropriate.  The  teachers  will 
try  to  have  their  pupils  read  these  books  and  tell  about 
them  in  the  recitations.  Many  of  them  will  furnish  good 
illustrations  for  the  lessons. 

Renewing  the  Library. — ^Try  to  add  a  certain  number 
of  books  to  the  library  each  year.  If  you  exceed  that  num- 
ber, well;  but  try  never  to  fall  below  it.  Even  a  small 
addition  every  year  means  a  large  library  before  you 
know  it. 

But  what  is  to  be  done  when  the  books  wear  out — when 
the  bindings  become  shaky  and  the  pages  are  torn  and 
loose? 

My  advice  is  to  hold  on  to  such  books  as  long  as  possible, 
having  them  rebound  in  stout  buckram  and  thoroughly 
mended.  Their  worn  condition  is  proof  that  they  are 
enjoyable  books.  Some  schools  give  away  such  books 
to  poorer  schools,  which  is  well,  provided  new  copies  of 
the  same  books  are  bought  to  take  their  places.  We  must 
remember  that  new  pupils  are  all  the  time  entering  the 
school,  and  that  the  best  recommendation  they  can  have 
for  a  book  is  the  advice  from  some  older  pupil  to  read  it, 
"for  it  is  perfectly  splendid!" 

Protecting  the  Books. — ^The  Hbrarian  should  occasion- 
ally speak  to  the  entire  school  about  the  proper  way  to 
handle  books,  showing  the  school  dirty,  dog's-eared  and 
torn  volumes,  and,  by  contrast,  some  that  have  been  well 
kept.  Emphasize  the  careful  handling  of  books  as  a  sign 
of  culture.     Do  not  be  afraid  to  talk  to  the  school  in  large 

90 


THE  TREASURER  AND  THE  LIBRARIAN 

terms;  the  pupils  will  appreciate  your  addressing  them 
as  grown-ups  and  not  as  ''just  children." 

Make  a  written  note  of  the  condition  of  each  book 
before  it  is  given  out  and  as  it  is  returned,  so  that  you 
may  discover  which  pupils  handle  the  books  roughly, 
and  do  a  little  personal  work  with  them.  You  may  take 
the  classes  containing  these  pupils  and  get  their  teachers 
to  bring  the  pupils  together  to  help  you  in  a  little  "mending 
bee,"  in  which  markings  shall  be  rubbed  out  and  the  books 
mended  as  well  as  possible.  This  will  be  a  fine  object 
lesson. 

Keeping  the  Records. — Every  pupil  will  have  his  own 
library  card,  on  which  he  will  keep  at  least  six  numbers 
of  books  he  desires.  Opposite  each  number  will  be 
stamped  the  date  when  the  book  is  given  him,  and  later 
the  date  when  the  book  is  returned.  The  librarian  will 
have  some  list  of  the  books  by  number,  preferably  a  sheet 
of  pasteboard  with  little  pockets  for  slips  of  cardboard, 
each  slip  bearing  the  number  and  title  of  a  book.  A 
similar  sheet  with  pockets  for  slips  bearing  the  pupils' 
names  and  numbers  will  complete  the  outfit.  Transpose 
the  slip  of  the  borrower  and  that  of  the  book,  marking 
the  book  number  on  the  first  slip  and  the  date  on  the 
second  slip,  and  your  record  is  complete.  When  the  book 
is  returned,  simply  return  each  slip  to  its  original  place. 
Prompt  inquiry  for  each  book  as  soon  as  it  is  due  will 
save  many  a  volume  to  the  library. 

Getting  the  Books  Read. — How  shall  the  librarian  do 
his  most  important  work,  get  the  pupils  interested  in  the 
books?    A  printed  catalogue  is  a  great  help  here,  espe- 

91 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

cially  if  below  each  title  is  a  brief,  attractive  description 
of  the  book — one  that  will  make  mouths  water.  When 
new  books  are  added  to  the  library,  distribute,  printed 
slips  naming  and  describing  them,  these  to  be  inserted  in 
the  catalogues.  Advertise  one  new  book  a  week  by  placing 
its  name  and  the  name  of  its  author  on  the  blackboard, 
with  a  word  about  it.  If  the  school  is  small,  allow  access 
to  the  books  before  and  after  sessions — an  invaluable  cus- 
tom, giving  the  opportunity  for  that  personal  stimulus 
and  advice  which  may  set  many  a  young  person  on  the 
way  to  wise  reading. 

A  Library  Meeting. — Get  the  help  of  the  teachers. 
Devote  a  teachers'  meeting  to  the  subject,  showing  the 
teachers  how  great  a  help  in  their  work  the  library 
may  become,  and  advising  them  how  to  lead  their  pupils 
to  use  the  library.  Get  also  the  help  of  the  parents, 
sending  them  printed  (or  manifolded)  letters  about  the 
school  library  and  the  pleasure  and  profit  to  be  obtained 
from  it. 

Class  Reading  Clubs. — Get  the  teachers  to  form  their 
classes  into  reading  clubs,  to  meet  once  a  fortnight,  for 
reading  aloud  some  book  from  the  library.  Offer  rewards 
of  good  books  to  all  who  w^ill  spend  at  least  fifteen  minutes 
a  day  for  a  year  reading  the  books  of  the  Sunday-school 
library  or  other  books  approved  by  the  librarian,  and  who 
will  read  through  in  the  course  of  the  year  at  least  twelve 
books.  Offer  extra  rewards  to  the  two  pupils,  a  girl  and 
a  boy,  whose  lists  are  the  best  in  quality  as  well  as  in 
quantity.  The  parents  will  be  glad  to  contribute  toward 
paying  for  the  books  given  as  rewards. 

92 


THE  TREASURER  AND  THE  LIBRARIAN 

Book  Evenings. — Have  "Sunday-school  book  evenings," 
in  which  the  different  departments  of  the  school  are 
brought  together,  one  at  a  time,  and  listen  to  accounts 
of  the  books  in  the  library  that  will  please  them  and  at 
the  same  time  be  best  worth  while.  Many  of  these  ac- 
counts will  be  given  by  pupils  who  have  read  the  books. 
Now  and  then  have  a  bright  speaker  occupy  five  minutes 
of  the  general  session  of  the  school  telling  in  a  snappy  way 
about  a  lot  of  good  books,  handing  them  out  on  the  spot  to 
those  that  want  them.  The  assistant  librarian  will  take 
the  names  of  the  borrowers. 

Class  Librarian. — Appoint  a  librarian  in  each  class  to 
push  in  that  class  the  reading  of  good  books.  Hold  meet- 
ings of  these  young  librarians  now  and  then,  to  tell  them 
about  the  library  books  that  will  interest  their  classes, 
and  discuss  means  of  bringing  these  books  to  the  attention 
of  their  friends.  These  class  librarians  may  become 
your  very  best  aids  in  the  introduction  of  books. 

The  Librarian's  Opportunity. — I  realize  that  I  have  been 
laying  out  considerable  work  for  the  Sunday-school  libra- 
rian, but  I  also  realize  the  tremendous  possibilities  of  his 
work.  He  comes  closer  to  the  young  people  than  the 
public  librarian.  He  can  reach  many  boys  and  girls 
whose  homes  have  no  bookish  atmosphere.  He  can 
plant  a  love  for  good  books  in  many  young  lives,  and 
this  love  will  be  not  only  a  lasting  joy  to  them,  but  will 
lead  them  to  a  perpetual  source  of  wisdom  and  strength. 


93 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 


IV 

THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  GRADED 

BY 

Rev.  a.  H.  McKINNEY,  Ph.D. 


95 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  GRADED 


I 

WHY? 


The  objections  to  grading  a  Sunday  school  are  generally 
made  by  those  who  do  not  understand  the  reasons  for  the 
grading,  or  by  those  who  do  not  know  how  to  grade. 
It  is  for  the  former  class  that  the  following  suggestions  are 
given.  In  considering  the  matter  of  grading,  five  elements 
must  be  noted: 

Personality. — In  the  personality  of  the  pupils  we  find 
the  chief  reason  for  grading.  The  ideal  method  of  in- 
struction would  be  to  have  each  pupil  trained  according 
to  his  personal  characteristics  and  aptitudes.  This,  of 
course,  is  impossible.  The  next  best  method  is  to  grade 
individuals  so  that  the  very  greatest  amount  of  attention 
may  be  paid  to  the  personality  of  those  who  form  each 
group.  A  boy  is,  in  a  certain  sense,  the  same  person  for 
years;  in  another  sense,  he  is  not  the  same  personality  at 
nine  years  of  age  that  he  was  at  six.  The  boy  of  thirteen 
is  quite  different  from  what  he  was  at  nine  years  of  age 
and  from  what  he  will  be  at  seventeen.  Hence,  the 
marked  results  of  the  study  of  children  and  youth  have 
dictated  that  they  be  graded  according  to  their  person- 
alities. The  first  and,  for  the  present  purpose,  the  most 
practicable  basis  of  grading  is  according  to  age.  Where, 
however,  there  is  material  enough  to  grade  more  closely, 

97 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

the  personality  of  each  individual  may  be  taken  into 
account  in  forming  classes,  and  those  most  nearly  alike 
grouped  together. 

Instruction. — It  is  true  that  the  Bible  is  suited  for  all 
ages  and  conditions.  It  is  not  true,  however,  that  all 
the  Bible  is  suited  for  persons  of  a  given  age.  There  is 
much  in  the  Bible,  for  example,  that  children  of  six  years 
of  age  cannot  and  need  not  understand.  It  is  true,  also, 
that  something  for  everyone  may  be  found  in  every 
selection  from  the  Scriptures  assigned  as  a  lesson;  but  what 
ought  to  be  presented  to  given  classes  or  departments  will 
depend  on  many  things.  The  teacher  who  gives  the  in- 
struction that  is  most  needed  and  helpful  is  the  one  who 
can  suit  that  instruction  to  the  capabilities  of  the  largest 
number  in  her  class.  If,  for  example,  a  teacher  has  to 
instruct  pupils  varying  in  age  from  six  to  twelve,  her  task 
is  much  more  diflBcult  than  if  she  were  to  present  the  lesson 
truths  to  pupils  whose  ages  range  from  six  to  eight.  Hence, 
the  character  of  the  instruction  that  ought  to  be  given  in 
the  Sunday  school  demands  grading. 

Progress. — Over  and  over  again  has  been  repeated  the 
cry:  When  young  people  apply  for  admission  to  the 
Church,  in  most  cases,  they  have  very  hazy  notions  of 
Scriptural  truth.  Why?  Not  because  they  have  not  been 
instructed,  not  because  they  have  not  had  faithful  teachers 
who  have  earnestly  desired  to  impart  the  truth.  Why, 
then?  Because,  in  most  instances,  the  instruction  given 
has  been  of  a  hazy,  nebulous  character;  in  other  words, 
there  has  not  been  a  systematic  progression  in  facts  im- 
parted and  truths  enforced.      This  is  due,  in  some  cases. 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  GRADED 

to  the  employment  of  unskilled  teachers  in  the  Sunday 
school,  and  in  other  instances,  to  the  fact  that  the  teacher 
does  as  well  as  he  can  considering  the  variety  in  the  pupils 
he  is  trying  to  instruct.  That  there  may  be  systematic 
instruction  in  Biblical  facts  and  truths,  and  that  there 
may  be  a  progression  in  the  acquirement  and  understand- 
ing thereof  by  the  pupils,  there  must  be  grading.  When 
our  Sunday  schools  are  graded,  both  as  to  instructors  and 
learners,  church  officials  will  not  be  so  much  astonished 
as  at  present  concerning  the  lack  of  Biblical  knowledge  on 
the  part  of  candidates  for  admission  to  the  Church. 

Fruitage. — We  are  learning  very  many  important  les- 
sons from  the  farmer  and  horticulturist.  The  fruitage 
obtained  as  the  result  of  understanding  the  nature  of  the 
harvest  desired  is  amazing.  That  there  is  an  increasing 
amount  of  fruitage  as  the  result  of  Sunday-school  instruc- 
tion is  evident.  That  this  amount  will  be  increased  in 
the  ratio  of  the  proper  grading  of  the  Sunday  school  is 
believed  by  very  many.  God  made  the  boy.  God  has 
ordained  certain  laws  of  the  boy's  spiritual  as  well  as  phys- 
ical nature.  Is  it  not  reasonable  to  suppose  that  the 
Holy  Spirit  is  going  to  bless  that  one  who  works  in  har- 
mony with  God's  laws  rather  than  the  one  who  disregards 
them?  As  the  laws  of  the  pupil's  nature  are  apprehended 
and  he  is  instructed  in  accordance  therewith,  we  may  look 
for  greater  spiritual  results.  The  possibility  of  getting 
these  results  is  largely  increased  where  the  proper  kind  of 
grading  has  been  done.  For  the  sake  of  the  boy's  temporal 
welfare,  as  well  as  for  his  eternal  good,  the  school  of  which 
he  is  a  member  should  be  graded.  This  is  true  also  of 
the  girl  and  of  the  adult. 

99 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

Attendance. — An  old  notion  that  pupils  did  not  respond 
readily  to  a  system  of  grading  and  consequent  promotion 
has  been  exploded.  In  those  schools  which  are  carried 
on  along  the  proper  lines  of  grading  there  is  always  some- 
thing to  which  the  pupil  may  look  forward  and  which  may 
be  held  up  to  him  as  an  incentive.  When  he  finishes  the 
work  of  one  grade  he  is  to  be  promoted  into  the  next 
grade.  This  promotion  is  an  honor  which  he  appreciates 
and  to  which  he  looks  forward.  Hence,  not  only  is  the 
attendance  of  younger  pupils  larger  and  more  regular  in 
these  schools  which  are  graded  than  in  others,  but  the 
pupils  are  kept  longer  in  the  school  because  of  that  to 
which  they  look  forward. 

A  rigid  investigation  of  many  cases  has  revealed  the  fact 
that  it  was  the  teacher  rather  than  the  pupil  who  stood 
in  the  way  of  the  latter's  promotion  into  the  grade  in  which 
he  should  be.  Hence,  it  is  confidently  believed  that  when 
the  conscientious  teacher  understands  the  reason  for 
grading,  his  objections  thereto  will  disappear,  for  he  will 
realize  their  foolishness. 


100 


II 

WHAT? 

What  Is  a  graded  Sunday  school  will  depend  in  a  very 
large  degree  upon  the  numbers  therein.  There  is  no  school 
that  cannot  be  graded.  A  small  school  will  of  necessity 
have  fewer  departments  than  a  large  one.  The  larger 
Sunday  schools  will  vary  in  their  classification,  for  it  needs 
no  argument  to  prove  that  a  school  of  a  thousand  can  be 
graded  much  better  than  one  of  two  hundred  members. 
There  are  three  respects  at  least  in  which  a  school  may 
be  graded,  namely,  in  reference  to: 

The  Curriculum.— The  very  first  thing  to  be  decided 
in  grading  a  Sunday  school  is  the  curriculum  to  be  pursued. 
In  schools  where  the  International  Uniform  Lessons  are 
used  there  should  be  supplemental  work  according  to 
which  the  school  should  be  graded,  so  far  as  the  subject 
matter  to  be  taught  is  concerned. 

There  is  a  rapidly  increasing  number  of  schools  which 
use  the  Graded  Series  of  The  International  Sunday- 
school  Lessons.  This  series  affords  a  complete  graded 
curriculum. 

Some  schools  use  this  graded  series  for  the  classes  of 
the  Elementary  Division  and  the  Uniform  lessons  for 
all  classes  above  the  Junior  Department.  This  gives 
a  partially  graded  curriculum. 

101 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

The  Teachers. — In  these  days  of  specialization  much 
attention  is  paid  to  the  teachers  employed  in  the  various 
grades.  The  study  of  the  characteristics  of  children, 
adolescents  and  adults  has  led  to  an  appreciation  of  the 
fact  that  a  teacher  can  do  splendid  work  in  instructing 
pupils  of  one  age  who  would  be  a  failure  in  the  endeavor 
to  be  the  leader  of  a  class  of  another  age;  hence,  in  an  in- 
creasing measure,  attention  is  paid  to  the  teacher  selected 
for  a  certain  grade  or  department  of  the  school.  In  the 
degree  that  this  selection  is  wisely  made,  does  the  school 
live  up  to  its  proper  function,  which  is  teaching  the  Word 
of  God  for  the  purpose  of  bringing  souls  to  Christ  and  of 
building  up  souls  in  Christ.     (See  page  115^  if.) 

The  Pupils. — ^The  grading  of  the  school  is  for  the  sake 
of  those  instructed  therein.  One  supreme  consideration 
should  overrule  all  others;  namely.  How  may  the  mem- 
bers of  this  school  receive  the  most  benefit?  This  prin- 
ciple, ever  kept  in  mind,  will  help  in  the  determining  of 
methods  of  grading  and  in  the  adoption  of  rules  therefor. 

On  what  bases  should  pupils  be  graded?  is  an  important 
question.    The  answer  may  be  given  thus: 

1.  Age. — ^The  most  natural  basis  of  division  is  the  age 
of  the  pupil.  While  it  is  true  that  pupils  of  the  same  age 
differ,  it  is  equally  true  that  there  are  certain  fundamental 
characteristics  that  may  be  predicated  of  children  of  about 
the  same  age.  These  characteristics  determine,  in  a  large 
degree,  the  kind  of  instruction  that  will  be  most  helpful. 
Hence,  in  grading  a  school,  the  first  endeavor  should  be 
to  ascertain  the  ages  of  the  pupils  who  are  members 
thereof. 

2.  Attainments. — Where   it   is  possible  to  grade  with 

102 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  GRADED 

greater  exactness  than  that  afforded  by  the  difference 
in  the  ages  of  the  pupils,  the  second  consideration  should 
be  the  endeavor  to  answer  this  question:  What  are  the 
attainments  of  the  various  pupils  coming  within  a  given 
age  limit?  For  example,  from  nine  to  twelve  are  the  ages 
of  pupils  usually  assigned  to  the  Junior  Department. 
If,  as  is  frequently  the  case,  that  department  is  large 
enough  to  admit  of  its  being  subdivided  into  classes,  the 
attainments  of  the  pupils  should  be  carefully  considered 
when  the  subdivision  is  made. 

3.  Capabilities. — Two  pupils  of  the  same  age  and  of  the 
same  attainments  will  differ  in  regard  to  their  capabilities. 
One  will  learn  much  more  readily  than  the  other  or,  pos- 
sibly, will  retain  much  more  of  what  is  taught.  Where  the 
number  of  pupils  is  large  enough  to  admit  of  it,  this  char- 
acteristic should  be  taken  into  account,  and  the  division 
into  classes  governed  not  only  by  the  age  and  attainments 
of  the  pupils  but  also  by  their  ability  to  receive  and  re- 
tain what  is  taught. 

Exceptions. — It  must  never  be  forgotten  that  there 
are  exceptions  to  all  rules.  In  dealing  with  human  nature 
the  exceptions  must  always  be  considered  even  if  rules 
are  to  be  broken.  In  a  large  school,  well  graded,  there 
was  a  girl  who,  because  of  poverty  in  the  home,  was 
obliged  to  begin  work  at  a  very  early  age.  Her  educational 
advantages  had  been  so  limited  that  she  was  unable  to 
read  correctly.  She  had,  however,  a  good  spirit  and  was 
anxious  to  learn.  An  exception  was  made  in  her  case 
and  she  w^as  promoted  from  department  to  department 
without  any  regard  to  her  reading  ability.  The  superin- 
tendent of  the  school,  knowing  the  girl's  lack,  selected 

103 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

teachers  who  would  treat  her  tenderly  and  whom  he  asked 
to  cover  up  her  deficiency.  In  this  way  she  was  advanced 
from  grade  to  grade  with  very  few  in  the  school  knowing 
that  she  could  not  read. 

A  class  of  boys  was  once  promoted  from  the  Junior 
Department  into  the  Intermediate.  They  were  of  about 
the  same  age.  Two  of  them  developed  very  slowly  phys- 
ically. One  of  them  grew  so  fast  that  in  two  years  he 
seemed  almost  a  giant  in  contrast  to  the  two  small  lads. 
The  other  three  members  developed  at  a  normal  rate. 
Soon  the  big  fellow  became  conspicuous  in  his  class.  It 
was  noticed  that  he  was  restless  and  uneasy.  Observation 
on  the  part  of  one  accustomed  to  study  boys  led  to  the 
conclusion  that  he  felt  out  of  place  with  the  two  little 
fellows  in  his  class  and  the  three  who  were  of  normal  size. 
A  confidential  chat  with  him  one  day  led  him  to  reveal  his 
feelings,  which  were  in  accord  with  the  suspicions  of  the 
observer.  It  did  not  take  long  to  transfer  him  to  a  class 
of  boys  older  than  himself,  but  about  his  own  size.  Here 
he  was  happy,  and  the  change  doubtless  kept  him  from 
leaving  the  school. 

Another  boy  grew  physically  at  a  normal  rate,  but  his 
intellectual  development  was  retarded.  It  became  a 
serious  question  what  to  do  with  him.  If  he  were  pro- 
moted with  boys  of  his  own  age  he  would  so  feel  his  back- 
wardness that  he  would  be  humiliated.  After  consulta- 
tion with  his  mother  the  authorities  of  the  school  decided 
that  an  exception  be  made  in  his  case,  and  he  was  retained 
among  pupils  of  about  his  own  capabilities  until  the  time 
came  when  he  could  be  made  useful  in  connection  with 
the  work  of  the  school,  in  a  position  which  did  not  require 
any  great  mental  ability. 

104 


Ill 

HOW? 

"Make  haste  slowly."  Nowhere,  perhaps,  more  than 
in  the  grading  of  a  Sunday  school  should  this  well-worn 
motto  be  applied.  Many  conscientious  workers  have 
been  offended,  pupils  have  been  driven  away  from  the 
school  and,  in  some  cases,  a  general  demoralization  has 
resulted  because  of  unwise  haste  in  the  attempt  to  do  an 
excellent  thing  which  was  not  fully  understood  by  those 
for  whose  benefit  it  was  planned.  Here  nothing  is  gained 
by  haste;  much  may  be  lost.  The  following  suggestions 
are  made  for  those  who  wish  to  know  what  steps  are  nec- 
essary in  the  grading  of  a  school  which  is  altogether  or 
partially  ungraded : 

Decide. — Decide  just  what  is  to  be  done.  No  two 
schools  are  exactly  alike;  in  no  two  schools  do  exactly  the 
same  conditions  exist.  While  the  general  scheme  of  grad- 
ing remains  the  same,  the  particulars  connected  with  plans 
and  methods  will  vary  according  to  the  school.  At  first 
a  very  small  committee  should  take  the  matter  in  hand, 
go  over  the  ground  very  carefully  and  then  decide  just 
what  is  to  be  done. 

Explain. — Explain  to  those  concerned  what  is  pro- 
posed to  be  done.  After  the  committee  have  satisfied 
themselves  as  to  the  wisdon  of  the  course  they  are  about 
to  advocate,  there  should  be  a  meeting  of  the  oflBcers  of 

105 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

the  school  for  the  purpose  of  getting  their  criticisms 
of  the  plan.  These  should  be  carefully  considered,  and 
any  diflSculties  likely  to  arise  should  be  provided  for  in 
the  plan  suggested.  After  the  wisdom  of  the  officers 
has  been  made  use  of  in  modifying  the  methods  proposed 
there  should  be  a  meeting  of  the  teachers.  Carefully  and 
patiently  the  details  of  the  proposed  grading  should  be 
laid  before  the  teachers,  and  they  should  be  asked  to  give 
their  opinion  of  what  is  to  be  done.  Should  any  serious 
objections  be  offered,  they  should  be  carefully  considered. 
Should  any  vital  defects  be  pointed  out,  they  should  be 
remedied.  All  this,  of  course,  takes  time,  but  it  will  be 
time  well  expended. 

Cooperation. — Obtain  the  cooperation  of  all  concerned. 
The  more  careful  the  explanation  given  of  what  is 
about  to  be  done,  the  greater  the  probabilities  of  secur- 
ing the  cooperation  of  those  who  are  to  be  affected  by 
what  is  proposed.  The  attention  paid  to  the  objections 
made,  or  suggestions  offered,  by  the  teachers,  will  deter- 
mine, in  a  large  degree,  the  amount  of  cooperation  that 
may  be  expected  from  them. 

Parents'  Cooperation. — OflBcers,  teachers  and  parents 
of  the  pupils  should  all  be  ready  to  cooperate  in  making 
the  proposed  grading  a  great  success.  Perhaps  the  most 
difficult  class  of  persons  to  deal  with  will  be  the  parents. 
They  know  that  their  children  are  attached  to  certain 
teachers;  they  do  not  know  that  what  is  proposed  is  for 
the  benefit  of  their  children;  therefore,  imagining  that 
some  hurt  is  to  come  to  the  latter,  they  are  inclined  to 
object  to  any  plan  which  will  separate  them  from  their 

106 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  GRADED 

present  teachers.  A  sermon  preached  by  the  pastor,  fol- 
lowed by  a  gathering  of  as  many  parents  as  can  be  induced 
to  attend  a  meeting  called  for  the  purpose  of  explaining 
just  what  is  about  to  be  done,  would  result  in  the  hearty 
cooperation  of  many  who,  because  of  their  failure  to 
understand  what  is  in  the  minds  of  the  officers  of  the  school, 
might  refuse  to  cooperate. 

Nothing  should  be  said  directly  to  the  pupils  concerning 
grading  until  the  plans  therefor  are  well  worked  out,  and 
the  cooperation  of  as  many  of  their  elders  as  possible 
has  been  secured. 

Gradual  Progress. — Proceed  by  degrees.  It  is  not  nec- 
essary to  revolutionize  the  whole  school.  The  children 
under  the  age  of  thirteen  may  be  graded  at  first,  thus 
forming  an  elementary  division.  Attention  may  then 
be  paid  to  the  Intermediate  Department,  and  by  degrees 
the  plans  worked  up  into  the  Senior  and  Adult  depart- 
ments. 

Should  any  class  or  department  seriously  object  to  the 
grading,  it  may  be  omitted  from  the  general  scheme. 
In  time  the  benefits  accruing  from  grading  will  bring  this 
dissatisfied  section  into  line  with  the  others. 

Correcting  Mistakes. — Be  willing  to  rectify  mistakes. 
It  goes  without  saying  that  where  a  number  of  persons 
is  concerned  and  where  plans  affecting  many  are  put 
into  operation,  there  will  be  mistakes.  It  is  not  nearly 
so  grievous  to  make  a  mistake  as  to  be  unwilling  to  rec- 
ognize it  and  acknowledge  it  when  it  is  made.  The 
Superintendent's  Council  or  some  other  authorized  body 
of  representative  workers  of  the  school  should  be  con- 

107 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

stantly  on  the  alert  to  discover  flaws  in  the  plan  of  grading 
and  to  rectify  all  mistakes  made.  The  manly  acknowl- 
edgment of  a  mistake  on  the  part  of  an  officer  in  the  school 
will  do  much  to  inspire  confidence  on  the  part  of  the  pupils 
in  the  purpose  of  the  one  who  acknowledges  the  mistake. 
Little  by  little  the  plans  may  be  perfected.  Little  by 
little  the  machinery  of  grading  may  be  so  regulated  that 
it  will  go  on  with  the  minimum  of  friction  and,  therefore, 
with  the  maximum  of  good  results. 

Persistence. — Keep  the  school  graded.  Many  schools 
have  been  graded  for  a  short  while  and  then  have  lapsed 
into  slipshod  methods,  resulting  in  the  undoing  of  much 
of  the  good  accomplished.  There  should  be  an  eternal 
vigilance  exercised  by  the  officials  of  the  school  to  keep  it 
on  a  high  plane  of  grading.     (See  page  120,  ff.) 


108 


IV 

A   GRADED   SCHOOL 

Having  settled  the  preliminary  questions  as  to  the  prin- 
ciples which  should  guide  in  the  grading  of  the  school,  let 
us  now  consider  the  ideally  graded  school.  It  should 
consist  of  the  following  departments: 

Cradle  Roll. — Upon  the  Cradle  Roll  should  be  inscribed 
the  names  of  all  those  children,  who  are  and  who  ought 
to  be  identified  with  the  Church,  too  young  to  attend 
Sunday  school.  Some  of  the  first  missionary  efforts  of 
the  school  are  in  connection  with  the  work  of  getting 
candidates  for  the  Cradle  Roll.  Upon  it  have  been  entered 
the  names  of  children  whose  parents  rarely  thought  of 
church  or  Sunday  school  until  they  were  touched  with 
the  recognition  of  their  little  ones  shown  by  Sunday- 
school  workers.  In  the  regularly  organized  Sunday  school 
the  Cradle  Roll  is  as  much  a  department  as  is  the  Primary 
or  the  Adult. 

Beginners. — When  the  child  is  able  to  come  to  Sunday 
school  he  enters  the  Beginners  Department,  which  is 
composed  of  little  tots  under  six  years  of  age.  For  this 
department  especial  provision  is  made  wherever  possible. 
It  meets  in  a  room  by  itself,  with  its  own  superintendent, 
who  is  assisted  by  as  many  helpers  as  the  needs  of  the 
department  require.  For  it  the  International  Lesson 
Committee  has  issued  a  special  series  of  lessons,  outlined 

109 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

with  a  view  of  giving  instruction  to  the  Uttle  ones  on  the 
plane  of  their  intelligence  and  receptivity. 

Primary. — From  the  Beginners  Department  the  pupil 
is  advanced  into  the  Primary,  which  usually  is  composed 
of  children  from  six  to  nine  years  of  age.  There  is,  per- 
haps, no  department  of  the  Sunday  school  to  which  more 
attention  has  been  paid  than  to  the  Primary.  The  result 
of  long  years  of  labor  on  the  part  of  Sunday-school  leaders 
has  been  the  betterment  of  the  instruction  given  in  the 
Primary  Department,  so  that  to-day  this  department 
in  most  schools  holds  the  palm  for  excellent  methods. 

Advanced  Primary. — In  some  large  schools,  where  the 
material  is  abundant  and  the  architectural  facilities  admit 
of  it,  the  children  are  promoted  at  about  eight  years  of 
age  from  the  Primary  to  the  Advanced  Primary,  in  which 
they  remain  until  they  are  ten.  In  more  than  one  school 
where  this  grading  has  taken  place  it  has  relieved  the 
difficulty  that  so  often  arises  of  interesting  the  older  pupils 
of  the  Primary  Department,  and  at  the  same  time  giving 
the  younger  ones  their  due  portion  of  instruction. 

Junior. — ^This  is  the  department  that  at  the  present 
time  is  receiving  most  attention,  for  it  is  clearly  recog- 
nized that  the  pupils  from  nine  or  ten  to  twelve  years  of 
age,  of  which  this  department  ought  to  be  composed,  are 
passing  through  a  period  of  development  when  much  may 
be  done  with  them  and  during  which  they  ought  to  be 
prepared  for  the  trying  times  of  adolescence.  Where 
there  is  no  Advanced  Primary,  the  pupils  are  transferred 
from  the  Primary  into  the  Junior  Department  at  nine 

110 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  GRADED 

years  of  age  and  remain  there  until  they  are  twelve. 
Where  there  is  an  Advanced  Primary,  the  pupils  are  trans- 
ferred therefrom  into  the  Junior  Department  at  ten  years 
of  age. 

Intermediate. — ^The  departments  mentioned  in  the  fore- 
going paragraphs  are  ordinarily  grouped  as  the  Elemen- 
tary Division  of  the  Sunday  school;  the  Intermediate 
Department  is  commonly  known  as  the  main  school. 
According  to  proper  methods  of  classification,  this  depart- 
ment should  consist  of  pupils  from  thirteen  to  sixteen 
years  of  age.  Where  possible,  subdivisions  according  to 
attainments  and  capabilities  should  be  made,  for  the  in- 
termediate or  early  adolescent  period  is  a  very  critical 
one,  during  which  the  young  people  are  very  apt  to  with- 
draw from  the  Sunday  school  because  they  think  it  rather 
a  small  affair  for  such  great  personages  as  they  are.  At 
the  same  time  it  must  be  remembered  that  the  "gang 
instinct"  is  very  strong  at  this  period;  where  it  exists 
in  a  class  it  must  be  very  carefully  considered  before  any 
attempt  is  made  to  transfer  members  from  or  into  that 
class.  The  prevalence  of  this  instinct  at  this  particular 
time  necessitates  those  exceptions  which  must  be  made 
in  applying  all  principles.  Recently  a  class  of  boys 
refused  to  admit  a  stranger  into  their  number  because 
he  did  not  belong  to  their  ''bunch,"  as  they  expressed  it. 

Senior. — ^The  Senior  Department  should  consist  of 
young  people  from  seventeen  to  twenty  years  of  age. 
This  covers  the  periods  of  middle  and  later  adolescence. 
It  has  been  found  that  this  department  flourishes  best 
where  the  classes  are  organized,  and  the  members  assume 

111 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

the  responsibility  of  recruiting  and  maintenance.  Hence, 
wherever  possible,  every  senior  class  should  have  a  room 
by  itself  and  should  have  its  own  oflBcers  as  well  as 
teacher. 

According  to  the  grading  of  the  International  Sunday 
School  Association  the  Intermediate  Department  and 
the  Senior  Department  together  form  the  Secondary  Di- 
vision of  the  Sunday  school. 

Adult. — ^This  department  includes  those  over  twenty 
years  of  age.  Marvelous  progress  is  now  being  made  in 
the  organization  and  development  of  this  department,  es- 
pecially in  connection  with  Organized  Adult  Bible  Classes. 
There  is  no  age  for  graduation,  for  the  theory  is  that  a 
person  ought  to  begin  attending  Sunday  school  as  soon  as 
he  is  able  to  come  to  the  Beginners  Class  and  should 
remain  a  member  thereof  until  unable  to  attend  its 
sessions. 

Home. — ^No  school  is  complete  without  its  Home  De- 
partment, for  there  are  in  every  community  persons  of  all 
ages  who,  because  of  infirmitj^  illness,  occupation,  etc., 
are  kept  from  attending  the  sessions  of  the  school.  These 
should  be  enrolled  as  members  of  the  Home  Department, 
which  should  be  considered  just  as  truly  a  department 
of  the  school  as  the  Primary  or  Intermediate,  and  the 
members  of  which  should  have  a  right  to  all  the  privileges 
enjoyed  by  other  members  of  the  school.  There  should 
be  regular  transfers  from  the  Home  Department  to  other 
departments  of  the  school  and  from  these  departments 
to  the  Home  Department. 

112 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  GRADED 

Teacher  Training. — In  every  Sunday  school,  as  a  part 
of  the  Senior  Department  or  as  a  separate  department, 
there  should  be  a  class  or  classes  in  which  is  given  definite 
instruction  for  the  purpose  of  training  pupils  to  become 
teachers.  The  ideal  teacher-training  class  is  composed 
of  young  people  from  seventeen  to  twenty-one  years  of 
age.  There  may  be  as  many  teacher-training  classes  as 
the  size  of  the  school  affords. 

For  the  Small  School. — It  is  realized  that  in  small 
schools  the  minute  divisions  suggested  cannot  obtain  for 
lack  of  material.  The  small  school,  however,  can  have 
at  least  three  grades: 

1.  Elementary. — This  should  be  composed  of  children 
under  thirteen  years  of  age,  and,  if  possible,  should  be 
divided  into  classes  along  the  age  divisions  suggested. 

2.  Secondary. — ^This  should  be  composed  of  pupils 
between  the  ages  of  thirteen  and  twenty,  and  should, 
whenever  possible,  be  divided  into  classes  according  to 
age  and  sex. 

3.  Adult. — Into  this  department  should  be  put  all  over 
twenty,  and,  if  possible,  it  should  be  organized  as  one 
large  class. 

The  International  Sunday  School  Association  has 
adopted  the  following  scheme  of  grading: 

Cradle  Roll 

All  under  3  years  of  age. 
Beginners  Department 
ELEMENTARY  I  3,  4  and  5  years  old. 

DIVISION       I  Primary  Department 

6,  7  and  8  years  old. 
Junior  Department 

9,  10,  11  and  12  years  old. 

113 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 


SECONDARY 
DIVISION 


ADULT 
DIVISION 


Intermediate  Department 

13,  14,  15  and  16  years  old. 

Senior  Department 

17,  18,  19  and  20  years  old. 

Adult  Department 

All  over  20  years  old.  This  department 
includes  the  Adult  Organized  Bible  Classes. 
Home  Department 

Including  all  above  Cradle  Roll  age  who, 
for  any  reason,  cannot  attend  Sunday 
.school. 


The  teacher-training  class  or  classes  may  belong  to 
either  the  Secondary  Division  or  the  Adult  Division,  ac- 
cording to  the  ages  of  the  students. 

Many  schools  now  have  a  Sunday-school  missionary 
organization,  whose  chief  aim  is  to  secure  graded  mis- 
sionary instruction  in  the  Sunday  school.  Some  schools 
have  a  temperance  organization,  whose  duties  include  the 
securing  of  graded  temperance  instruction  in  the  Sunday 
school  and  the  advancing  of  the  cause  of  temperance. 


114 


GRADED   TEACHERS 

During  the  past  twenty  years  much  attention  has  been 
paid  to  the  characteristics  of  those  who  form  the  mem- 
bership of  our  Sunday  schools.  The  results  of  this  study 
have  led  to  the  adoption  of  certain  principles  in  the  assign- 
ing of  teachers  to  the  various  grades.  Further  study  and 
a  better  understanding  of  human  nature  may  require 
changes  as  the  days  go  by.  For  the  present,  at  least,  the 
following  suggestions  may  be  made  concerning  the  teachers 
for  the  various  departments: 

Beginners. — The  leader  of  this  department  is  generally 
a  woman.  She  ought  to  be  active  in  body,  with  vivid  im- 
agination and  fertility  of  resources  in  dealing  with  little 
ones.  There  are  two  things  that  she  should  love  in  addi- 
tion to  her  Saviour,  namely,  children  and  music.  Unless 
the  teacher  of  the  little  folks  has  a  real  love  for  them,  her 
work  will  be  superficial.  Her  love  for  music  will  be  a 
great  help. 

Primary. — ^The  teacher  of  this  grade  should  be  much 
like  the  one  described  in  the  foregoing  paragraph.  The 
question  has  often  been  debated  as  to  whether  the 
leader  of  this  department  should  be  male  or  female. 
Ordinarily  it  is  the  latter,  but  the  writer  has  known  of 
cases  where  great  success  has  followed  the  efforts  of  a 
man  in  his  endeavors  to  lead  and  instruct  the  children 

115 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

of  the  Primary  Department.  Again,  the  question  of  age 
has  been  discussed.  One  of  the  youngest  teachers  the 
writer  ever  encountered  was  a  lady  sixty-five  years  old, 
but  she  was  so  young  in  spirit  that  she  could  sympa- 
thize and  keep  in  touch  with  her  pupils.  The  point  to 
be  remembered  is  that  the  successful  worker  in  the  Pri- 
mary Department  must  view  things  not  from  the  plane  of 
the  adult,  but  along  the  lines  of  the  everyday  life  of  the 
pupils. 

Junior. — Here,  again,  the  leader  of  the  department  is 
usually  a  woman,  but  sometimes  a  man.  This  one  needs 
also  the  characteristics  of  the  teacher  of  Beginners  or 
Primaries  with  a  few  added.  Her  pupils  are  growing. 
She  should  know  not  only  what  they  now  are  but  also 
what  they  are  soon  to  be.  Her  work  is  twofold:  first, 
instructing  her  pupils  and  training  them  so  that  they  will 
show  the  results  of  her  instruction  in  everyday  life  where 
they  now  are;  second,  preparing  them  for  the  storm  and 
stress  of  the  adolescent  period  into  which  they  are  soon  to 
enter.  Here,  more  than  anywhere  else,  should  there  be 
breadth  of  study  of  the  characteristics  of  the  pupils. 
Hence,  the  leader  of  the  Junior  Department  needs  to  know 
much  of  child  nature  and  the  nature  of  the  young  adoles- 
cent. 

Intermediate. — Everything  considered,  the  highest 
good  will  be  conserved  and  the  best  ends  attained  by 
separating  the  sexes  in  the  Intermediate  Department. 
The  boys  twelve  to  sixteen  should  be  in  classes  by  them- 
selves; the  girls  in  their  own  classes.  Ordinarily,  the 
teacher  should  be  of  the  same  sex  as  the  pupils.    The 

116 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  GRADED 

boys  should  have  a  young  man  teacher;  the  girls,  a  young 
woman  teacher.  The  word  "young"  is  used  relatively. 
The  meaning  is:  the  teacher  should  be  young  in  heart 
and  in  methods,  able  to  appreciate  the  condition  of  the 
pupils  as  they  now  are.  There  are  many  reasons,  physical 
as  well  as  psychological,  why  a  boy  of  thirteen  ought  to  be 
under  the  direction  of  a  manly  man,  and  why  his  sister 
of  fifteen  should  be  blessed  with  the  mothering  of  a  wom- 
anly woman. 

Senior. — The  sex  of  the  teacher  is  not  so  important 
after  the  pupils  have  passed  through  the  early  adoles- 
cent period.  The  writer  prefers  a  male  teacher  for  young 
men  and  a  female  teacher  for  young  women.  There 
are,  however,  many  cases  where  young  women  do  excellent 
work  with  young  men  classes  and  vice  versa.  The  main 
point  to  be  borne  in  mind  is:  In  this  period  of  their  devel- 
opment the  pupils  are  going  through  questionings  and 
doubtings.  They  need  then,  most  of  all,  a  teacher  who 
is  deeply  spiritual  on  the  one  hand  and  highly  intellectual 
on  the  other;  one  who  will  sympathize  with  them  in  their 
questionings  and  doubts,  and  instead  of  dogmatically 
insisting  that  they  accept  certain  truths,  will  be  with 
them  a  fellow  student  in  the  endeavor  to  reach  those  con- 
clusions which  will  satisfy  the  doubting  heart  that  still 
wants  to  believe.  The  very  worst  teacher  for  these 
young  people  is  some  old  saint,  who  has  settled  to  his  own 
satisfaction  all  theological  and  dogmatic  questions  and  is 
impatient  with  those  who  cannot  accept  his  conclusions. 

Adult. — ^The  members  of  the  Adult  Bible  Class  have, 
for  the  most  part,  passed  through  their  period  of  doubt 

117 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

and  are  now  face  to  face  with  the  reahties  of  Hfe.  They 
need,  most  of  all,  teaching  from  which  they  can  get  in- 
spiration and  comfort  for  their  everyday  living.  Their 
teacher,  therefore,  should  be  a  person — whether  male  or 
female  is  of  little  account — who  will  bring  the  truths  of  the 
Bible  to  bear  upon  their  daily  perplexities  and  problems. 
One  of  the  most  remarkable  facts  connected  with  the 
Bible  is  that  it  is  the  book  for  to-day.  He  or  she  will  be  a 
successful  teacher  of  adults  who  is  able  to  get  from  it 
those  things  which  are  needed  in  our  rushing  life  of  the 
present  time. 

TeacherrTraining  Students.— Many  schools  fail  to  have 
a  teacher-training  class  because,  as  their  officers  claim, 
it  is  impossible  to  find  a  teacher  therefor.  Perhaps  the 
mistake  has  been  made  of  supposing  that  the  teacher  of 
this  class  must  be  an  expert  in  normal  methods,  well 
versed  in  psychology,  pedagogy  and  Biblical  learning. 
The  very  first  requisite  for  the  leader  of  this  class  is  an 
appreciation  of  the  value  of  the  work  to  be  done.  The 
second  is  a  willingness  to  keep  a  little  ahead  of  the  mem- 
bers of  the  class.  One  who  is  too  learned  will  discourage 
the  pupils  of  an  average  class.  One  who  is  willing  to  be 
a  fellow  student  with  them  may  render  excellent  service. 

Promotions. — Shall  teachers  be  promoted  with  their 
pupils  in  a  graded  school?  This  question  requires  careful 
consideration  and  cannot  be  answered  lightly.  A  teacher 
who  remains  in  a  given  department,  say  the  Junior,  by 
degrees  masters  the  difficulties  connected  with  the  work 
of  that  department  and  comes  to  know  thoroughly  the 
characteristics  of  the  pupils  thereof.    Hence,  it  is  much 

118 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  GRADED 

better  for  this  teacher  to  remain  in  this  department  than 
to  go  forward  with  the  pupils,  who  are  changing  all  the 
time.  What  is  true  of  the  Junior  is  true  also  of  other 
departments.  Hence,  the  principle  is:  Teachers  should 
be  promoted  within  departments,  but  not  from  one  de- 
partment to  another.  Occasionally  there  may  be  an  ex- 
ception to  this  rule. 


119 


VI 

SPECIALIZED   WORK 

There  are  two  evils  connected  with  many  Sunday 
schools  that  must  be  very  seriously  considered  and  earn- 
estly combated.  In  the  first  place,  a  few  workers  have  too 
many  things  put  upon  them.  If  a  person  is  at  all  willing 
to  work  in  the  Sunday  school,  the  tendency  is  so  to  load 
up  that  one  with  a  variety  of  duties  that  he  or  she  is  over- 
burdened so  that  nothing  is  well  done.  The  remedy 
for  tliis  evil  is  to  give  individuals  especial  duties  to  per- 
form, and,  by  refraining  from  imposing  upon  them  other 
work,  let  them  become  experts  in  their  particular  line. 
The  other  evil  is  the  craze  for  numbers.  It  would  seem 
that  much  of  our  Sunday-school  work  is  tested  by  the 
numbers  on  the  roll.  In  some  places  a  step  in  advance 
is  taken  and  the  numbers  in  actual  attendance  are  taken 
as  the  criterion  of  success.  This  is  all  ^Tong.  Better 
have  a  school  of  fifty  members  doing  good  work  than  one 
of  a  hundred  carried  on  according  to  slipshod  methods; 
if  the  school  of  one  thousand  is  simply  a  mob,  better  get 
it  down  to  five  hundred  and  have  a  working  school.  In 
order  to  remedy  both  these  evils  workers  must  be  selected 
for  their  especial  qualifications  for  certain  lines  of  duty, 
and  they  must  seriously  consider  the  problem  of  the  better- 
ment of  the  school  irrespective  of  the  numbers  therein. 

The  Correlator. — ^The  time  is  coming  when  the  well- 
graded  school,  be  it  large  or  small,  will  have  one  person 
whose  principal  business  will  be  to  correlate  the  work 

120 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  GRADED 

of  the  various  departments  of  the  school  and  even  of  the 
various  individuals  therein.  This  person  need  not  neces- 
sarily be  the  superintendent,  who,  in  a  fair-sized  or  large- 
sized  school,  has  ordinarily  so  many  details  to  look  after 
that  the  work  of  correlation  should  be  given  to  one  who 
makes  an  especial  study  of  how  it  should  be  done.  This 
one,  however,  should  not  work  independently  of,  but  as  an 
assistant  to,  the  superintendent.  He  should  occupy  such 
a  vantage  ground  that  he  understands  the  working  of  the 
school  as  a  whole  from  top  to  bottom.  This  understand- 
ing can  be  gained  only  by  a  study  of  the  separate  depart- 
ments of  the  school  as  they  are  actually  in  operation,  and 
by  careful  planning  as  to  how  these  departments  should 
be  correlated  one  to  another.  At  first,  the  correlator  will 
necessarily  make  some  mistakes,  but  as  he  gives  time, 
thought  and  prayer  to  his  particular  work,  he  will  become 
more  and  more  expert  and  know  better  what  ought  to  be 
done. 

Superintendent  of  Admissions  and  Transfers. — Work- 
ing in  close  harmony  with,  and  under  the  direction  of, 
the  superintendent  and  the  correlator  should  be  a  person 
whose  especial  business  is  to  make  all  admissions  to  the 
school,  place  all  newcomers  in  classes,  and,  at  the  desig- 
nated time,  make  all  transfers  and  promotions.  The 
mere  mention  of  the  duties  of  such  a  person  would  raise  a 
storm  of  indignation  in  many  schools,  for  the  practice 
quite  generally  prevails  of  anybody's  and  everybody's  ad- 
mitting candidates  to  the  school,  not  according  to  any 
fixed  principles,  but  to  suit  the  wishes  of  the  parties  con- 
cerned. This  is  one  of  the  reasons  why  it  is  so  difficult 
to  grade  a  school  and  much  more  difficult  to  keep  it  graded. 

121 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

When  a  person  applies  for  admission  to  the  school,  that 
one  should  be  brought  to  the  superintendent  of  admission, 
who  will,  so  far  as  possible,  conform  to  the  wishes  of  the 
applicant  as  to  the  class  to  which  he  is  to  be  assigned,  but 
who  will  also  make  no  assignment  that  will  be  contrary 
to  the  principles  of  grading  adopted  for  the  school. 

Secretaries. — ^The  number  of  secretaries  in  a  school  will 
necessarily  vary  according  to  its  size.  There  should  be, 
however,  one  secretary  whose  duties  are  well  defined. 
His  business  should  be  to  make  a  careful  record  of  the 
pupils  in  the  school  and  to  keep  carefully  the  record  of 
their  attendance;  especially  should  it  be  recorded  how  a 
person  is  transferred  from  department  to  department 
throughout  the  school.  In  other  words,  there  should  be  a 
complete  record  of  any  given  individual  from  the  time  he 
enters  the  school  until  he  departs  therefrom.  This  will 
be  complete  only  when  the  cause  of  his  departure  is  noted 
and  also  the  place  to  which  he  goes.  Such  careful  work 
on  the  part  of  some  one  in  the  school  would  do  much  to 
hold  to  the  school  the  pupils  who  belong  there,  while  it 
would  help  do  away  with  the  vicious  system  that  prevails 
in  many  quarters  of  pupils'  going  from  schoool  to  school 
to  suit  their  own  convenience.  Of  course,  under  this  sys- 
tem a  pupil  who  tries  to  be  a  member  of  two  or  three 
schools  at  the  same  time  would  have  little  success.  The 
enrollment  of  a  pupil's  name  in  two  classes  of  the  school 
at  the  same  time  would  be  an  impossibility;  yet  such  things 
are  frequent  under  the  present  system. 

The  Superintendent's  Council. — ^To  a  select  few  of  the 
officers  of  the  school,  who  have  the  time  and  willingness  to 

122 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  GRADED 

consult  with  the  superintendent,  the  correlator  and  the 
superintendent  of  admissions  and  transfers,  should  be 
delegated  the  work  of  planning  for  the  conduct  of  the 
school.  Nothing  should  be  done  without  careful  consid- 
eration by  this  Council.  In  any  case  where  doubt  exists 
as  to  the  practicality  of  a  method,  it  should  be  viewed 
from  all  standpoints  before  being  adopted;  after  its  adop- 
tion, it  should  be  carefully  watched  in  order  to  ascertain 
its  effects.  If  found  to  be  without  value  to  the  school, 
it  should  be  changed. 

Teachers'  Meeting. — Before  any  plan  is  put  into  opera- 
tion it  should  be  considered  by  the  teachers  gathered  in 
meeting,  so  that  an  enthusiastic  cooperation  may  be  se- 
cured on  the  part  of  at  least  a  majority  of  the  workers  in 
the  school.  Once  a  plan  is  adopted,  it  should  be  carried 
out  until  it  is  found  to  be  impracticable;  then  it  should 
be  changed. 

Unhampered  Work. — ^The  duties  of  the  various  special 
workers  in  the  school  being  clearly  understood  and  recog- 
nized, they  should  be  unhampered  in  their  work.  For 
example,  no  one,  not  even  the  pastor  or  the  superintendent, 
should  interfere  with  the  work  of  the  superintendent  of 
admissions.  If  that  person  is  making  mistakes  he  should 
be  reasoned  with  and  his  mistakes  pointed  out,  but  his 
work  interfered  with — never.  When  such  a  course  of 
action  is  consistently  carried  out  everyone  will  come  to 
recognize  it  as  a  proper  thing,  and  the  complaints  and 
loss  of  time,  which  are  so  common  now  on  account  of 
interference  of  one  worker  with  another,  will  cease. 


123 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 


V 

THE  GRADED  LESSONS 

BT 

E.  MORRIS  FERGUSSON,  D.D. 


125 


THE  GRADED  LESSONS 


INTRODUCTORY 

In  addition  to  the  other  things  that  a  Sunday  school  is 
or  may  be  made  to  be,  it  is  a  school.  In  its  capacity  as  a 
school  it  must  teach.  In  order  that  its  teaching  may  be 
systematic,  orderly  and  piu-poseful  it  must  have  lessons 
prepared  and  specified  as  a  guide  to  its  teaching. 

The  problem  of  lesson  choosing  has  always  been  fore- 
most among  the  many  problems  of  Sunday-school  work, 
though  for  the  last  forty  years  most  of  us  have  been  con- 
tent to  have  the  International  Lesson  Committee  take  it 
off  our  hands  by  giving  us  the  selections  of  the  Uniform 
Lesson  Series.  It  has  always  been  a  problem,  neverthe- 
less; and  many  conscientious  workers  have  attacked  it  for 
their  schools,  either  by  working  out  lessons  of  their  own 
or  by  investigating  and  possibly  introducing  the  Blakes- 
lee  or  some  other  non-International  proposition.  Since 
1902  separate  lessons  for  at  least  the  Beginners  Department 
have  been  available  under  International  auspices.  Since 
October,  1909,  a  completely  graded  International  course 
of  lessons  has  been,  in  regular  progression,  provided  for 
the  use  of  all  Sunday  schools;  and  there  are  other  courses, 
at  least  two  of  which  also  furnish  one  course  each  for  every 
possible  grade  of  the  Sunday  school,  with  various  elective 
courses  for  adult  classes.     Grading  and  graded  lessons 

127 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

are  in  the  air.  The  problem  of  lesson  choosing  is  upon  us, 
whether  we  will  or  no. 

These  chapters  are  for  the  Sunday-school  leader  who, 
having  fairly  faced  this  great  problem,  has  resolved,  with 
more  or  less  of  cooperation  and  support  from  his  fellow 
workers,  to  introduce  the  new  International  Graded 
Sunday-school  Lessons  as  they  have  been  published  by  the 
Sunday-school  board  of  his  church;  or  who,  having  pre- 
viously so  resolved,  is  now  wrestling  with  the  many  prac- 
tical difficulties  involved  in  the  successful  installation  of 
the  system.  This  Sunday  school,  being  a  ''Sunday  school 
at  work,"  is  working  on  the  lesson  problem  with  zeal  at 
least  equal  to  that  which  it  bestows  on  the  various  other 
lines  of  effort  set  forth  in  this  book.  It  accepts  the  prin- 
ciple of  lesson  adaptation  to  pupils'  needs,  and  is  trying 
or  about  to  try  the  International  Graded  Lessons  as  the 
printed  machinery  for  securing  such  adaptation. 

Throughout  these  chapters  it  is  assumed  that  the  reader 
has  already  procured  for  himself  the  prospectus  and  sam- 
ple pages  of  the  graded  lessons,  with  the  lesson  outlines 
and  explanatory  pamphlets  accompanying  them,  all  of 
which  the  publishers  will  send  free  to  every  inquirer;  that 
he  has,  in  addition,  secured  one  or  more  sample  sets  of 
teachers'  and  pupils'  textbooks,  first  part,  of  the  depart- 
ments he  is  especially  interested  in,  and  that  he  has  given 
these  documents  serious  and  sympathetic  study,  with 
special  reference  to  the  aims  of  the  course,  the  ways  by 
which  these  aims  are  sought  and  the  reasons  for  following 
these  ways  rather  than  those  hitherto  relied  on. 


128 


II 

MISCONCEPTIONS 

It  may  be  that  the  hesitation  of  a  school  to  take  hold 
of  these  graded  lessons  as  soon  as  they  were  put  on  the 
market  has  resulted  from  some  misconception  as  to  their 
character  and  working,  or  as  to  the  kind  of  Sunday  schools 
for  which  they  are  adapted.  The  section  on  *'The 
Sunday  School  Graded,"  by  Dr.  McKinney,  has  already 
answered  some  of  these.  Let  us,  in  addition  to  what  is 
there  said,  observe  just  what  a  graded  Sunday  school  is, 
and  then  take  up  some  of  these  possible  misconceptions 
for  reply 

Why  Grades?— A  graded  Sunday  school  is  a  Sunday 
school  in  which  the  work  is  arranged  in  a  series  of  grades 
or  steps.  It  is  the  work  of  the  school  that  is  graded: 
the  pupils  are  graded  in  order  that  they  may  receive  this 
work;  the  teachers,  in  order  that  they  may  do  it;  the  lessons, 
in  order  that  they  may  outline  and  guide  it.  Any  Sunday 
school  is  a  graded  Sunday  school  that  does  graded  work. 
The  old-fashioned  "main  room"  of  the  Sunday  school 
did  continuous  work,  and  the  lessons  were  the  same  for 
all.     Grading  is  putting  in  the  steps. 

A  grade,  therefore,  in  Sunday-school  work  is  one  unit  of 
work  of  the  school  with  reference  to  certain  pupils.  The 
standard  unit  for  day  schools,  and  the  most  convenient 
also  for  the  Sunday  school,  is  one  year.    The  child's  own 

129 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

consciousness  has  so  much  to  do  with  the  success  of  all 
school  work  that  we  must  think  in  terms  of  his  experience 
in  this  as  in  all  Sunday-school  matters.  Four  years  is, 
indeed,  a  long  span  of  hfe,  but  birthdays  come  each  year. 
The  day-school  and  the  Sunday-school  life  commingle  in 
his  thoughts.  The  Sunday-school  work  should  run  by  the 
year,  as  his  life  does;  and  the  year  should  begin  in  the  fall, 
as  his  day-school  year  does.  The  International  graded 
lessons,  accordingly,  are  graded  by  years;  and  each  year 
begins  on  the  first  Sunday  in  October  and  contains  fifty- 
two  numbered  lessons,  ending  with  Lesson  52  on  the  last 
Sunday  in  September. 

The  Aim  of  a  Graded  School.— The  aim  of  a  graded 
Sunday  school  is  to  lead  every  pupil,  in  each  year  of  his 
life,  through  that  course  of  instruction  and  self-expression 
which  will  best  fit  the  needs  of  his  soul  for  that  year.  We 
cannot  predict  that  a  particular  child  will  develop  certain 
specific  needs  and  no  others  in  one  certain  year,  but  we 
do  know  enough  to-day  of  the  soul-needs  of  childhood  to 
be  able  to  set  certain  specific  needs  opposite  certain  years 
of  life,  and  to  predict  that  a  lesson  course  framed  to  meet 
those  needs  will,  when  properly  taught  to  children  of  that 
age,  feed  their  souls  with  fit  instruction  and  awaken  in 
them  a  spontaneous,  happy  response,  through  which  their 
character  will  be  formed  and  grow.  The  graded  school's 
aim  is  to  deal  in  that  way  with  every  one  of  its  pupils; 
so  that  each  one,  as  he  attends  its  sessions  week  by  week 
and  lives  through  year  after  year  of  his  developing  life, 
will  receive  the  instruction  that  he  needs  in  each  of  his 
years,  and  will  become,  through  wisely  guided  forms  of 
expressional  activity,  that  which  he  ought  to  be. 

130 


THE  GRADED  LESSONS 

In  the  light  of  this  ideal  of  Sunday-school  grading  we 
see  at  once  that  it  is  a  mistake  to  conceive  of  grading  as 
something  appertaining  only  to  large  schools.  If  grading 
is  a  matter  of  the  work  of  the  Sunday  school  with  each 
pupil,  then  a  little  Sunday  school  needs  to  have  its  work 
graded  no  less  than  does  a  large  school;  though  it  will  no 
doubt  go  about  the  work  of  grading  in  a  different  way. 
The  best  is  surely  none  too  good  for  its  children.  In  the 
little  Sunday  school  we  deal  with  the  individual  pupil 
directly,  and  he  passes  from  grade  to  grade  alone.  In  the 
large  Sunday  school  we  are  obliged  to  classify  our  individ- 
uals and  to  deal  with  them  in  class  groups;  and  they  are 
usually  promoted  in  classes  and  not  individually.  The 
lessons,  also,  as  we  shall  see,  must  be  handled  differently 
in  a  large  school  and  in  a  small  one.  But  grading  is 
just  as  indispensable  to  good  work  in  the  school  of  four  or 
five  classes  as  in  that  of  fifty. 

The  need  for  separate  rooms,  especially  for  the  lower 
departments,  has  sometimes  loomed  up  as  a  barrier  to  the 
grading  of  the  school  and  the  introduction  of  the  graded 
lessons.  Now  separate  rooms  are  surely  desirable;  and 
inasmuch  as  they  are  being  furnished  to  more  and  more 
schools  each  year,  the  elementary  graded  lesson  publica- 
tions do  very  properly  provide  for  department  exercises 
to  be  conducted  by  the  department  superintendent  in  a 
separate  department  room.  But  the  lessons  furnished  to 
the  class  teachers  do  not  depend  on  a  separate  room. 
Thousands  of  junior,  primary  and  even  beginners'  teachers 
are  using  the  graded  lessons  in  the  main  room,  with  not 
even  a  curtain  or  a  screen  to  divide  one  class  from  the  next. 


131 


Ill 

DIFFICULTIES  AND  OBJECTIONS 

"We  have  no  teachers  quaUfied  to  handle  these  more 
educational  lessons,"  objects  some  superintendent.  Along 
with  this  a  kindred  difficulty  is  frequently  anticipated: 
"Where  are  we  to  get  substitute  teachers,  if  each  teacher 
is  henceforth  to  teach  a  different  lesson?" 

Supervisory  Workers. — ^There  is  a  real  difficulty  here; 
but  it  needs  to  be  differently  stated  in  order  to  be  studied 
in  the  light  of  the  facts.  When  we  take  up  the  graded 
lessons  we  indicate  our  desire  to  raise  the  educational 
standard  of  our  Sunday  school  by  introducing  an  im- 
proved method  of  lesson  teaching.  Our  former  standard 
was  so  low  that  it  made  no  noticeable  difference  in  our 
output  when  we  picked  up  a  hasty  substitute  who  had 
read  over  the  Bible  lesson  and  introduced  him  to  the  class. 
With  the  new  graded  lesson  system  it  is  true  that  easy 
and  inefficient  plans  will  not  work,  because  we  have  raised 
the  standard,  and  our  classes  now  expect  good  teaching  on 
a  prepared  lesson  every  week.  Preparation,  even  of  the 
uniform  lesson,  involves  a  study  of  the  particular  class 
to  be  taught,  as  well  as  of  the  lesson  material.  If  we  can- 
not have  teachers  present  each  Sunday,  we  must  now 
organize  a  small  force  of  supervisory  workers,  familiar 
with  the  lesson  courses  of  their  respective  departments, 
who  can  on  occasion  take  vacant  classes  and  in  a  few 
minutes'  glance  at  the  textbook  prepare  themselves  to 

132 


THE  GRADED  LESSONS 

carry  on  the  work  for  the  day  without  a  break.  The 
necessity  for  a  system  of  trained  substitutes  is  not  made 
by  the  graded  lessons,  but  only  revealed. 

As  for  the  qualified  teachers,  the  same  thing  may  be 
said.  We  always  needed  them.  But  it  is  a  mistake  to 
suppose  that  because  these  lessons  are  educationally  good, 
therefore  those  who  teach  them  must  be  educationally 
good  in  proportion.  Which  road  calls  for  the  better 
driver, — a  mountain  byroad  or  a  modern  macadam  high- 
way? One  need  not  be  an  expert  road-maker  in  order  to 
drive  over  an  expertly  made  road.  The  graded  lessons 
are  the  Sunday  school's  educational  road:  what  we  need 
in  the  teachers  is  simply  the  same  old  faithfulness  plus 
a  willingness  to  learn  the  new  ways  involved  in  the  new 
lessons.  Once  broken  in,  the  same  teachers  will  do  far 
better  work  with  the  graded  lessons,  because  the  tasks 
involved  are  so  much  simpler  and  the  response  of  the  class 
to  anything  like  good  teaching  is  so  much  more  sponta- 
neous and  inspiring. 

Superintendents'  Difficulties. — Around  the  uniform 
lesson  have  grown  up  certain  institutions  and  customs, 
some  of  which  seem  to  many  a  superintendent  to  be  well- 
nigh  indispensable  to  the  orderly  conduct  of  the  Sunday- 
school  session.  The  reading  of  the  lesson  responsively 
is  one  such:  how  can  you  open  school  without  doing  that? 
How  can  hymns  be  chosen  and  prayers  offered  with  no 
lesson  for  the  day  to  fix  the  common  thought  of  the 
school?  Bring  in  a  medley  of  independent  lessons,  and 
where  is  that  unity  of  impression  that  makes  a  good 
Sunday-school  session  mean  so  much,  even  to  the 
thoughtless  pupil  in  the  inefficient  teacher's  class?    The 

133 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

superintendent's  desk  review  has  been  abused  by  some; 
and  perhaps  it  is  well  that  that  should  go.  Yet  it  has 
often  been  a  word  of  power.  Surely  the  superintendent 
should  have  a  chance  to  say  something  to  his  school: 
whence  now  is  his  message  to  come? 

Elsewhere  also  will  the  loss  of  a  common  lesson  be  felt. 
Not  one  in  ten  of  the  Sunday  schools  using  the  uniform 
lessons  maintains  now  a  weekly  teachers'  meeting  for  the 
study  and  preparation  of  next  Sunday's  lesson;  but  the 
ideal  of  such  a  meeting  seems  a  precious  thing  to  lose,  even 
if  we  have  not  its  reality.  The  lesson  daily  readings,  also, 
are  in  some  Christian  homes  used  as  the  guide  in  family 
worship;  and  here  and  there  parents  are  found  who  go 
over  the  lesson  with  their  children  before  Sunday  school. 
All  this  the  graded  lessons  make  impossible,  do  they  not? 
Should  not  the  home  and  its  interests  be  considered  before 
the  Sunday  school?  Something,  also,  must  be  said  for 
the  value  of  the  newspaper  treatments  of  the  uniform 
lesson,  if  only  as  a  mark  of  recognition  and  a  bond  of 
Christian  unity;  and  the  large  publishing  interests  of  our 
denominations,  seriously  jeopardized  as  they  are  by  this 
new,  expensive,  complicated  and  quite  problematical 
system,  must  be  duly  considered. 

The  Hidden  Treasure. — Yes,  we  should  consider  all 
these  things.  To  count  the  cost  before  making  the  ven- 
ture is  a  duty  which  our  Lord  himself  enjoined.  But  he 
also  spoke  a  parable  of  one  who  sold  his  house  and  his 
goods  and  all  that  he  had,  and  doubtless  for  a  time  was 
deemed  by  his  wife  and  family  a  brute  and  by  his  neigh- 
bors a  madman,  because  he  was  determined  to  own  a 
certain  field.    The  man  knew  what  he  was  after,  and  so  do 

134 


THE  GRADED  LESSONS 

we.  There  is  a  treasure  hid  in  these  graded  lessons,  for 
which  all  that  has  been  enumerated  would  be  a  bargain 
price  indeed  to  pay.  But  not  all  this  must  be  paid. 
When  the  inevitable  time  of  confusion,  strangeness  and 
readjustment  is  over  we  shall  find  some  of  these  good 
things  still  with  us  in  improved  form,  and  the  rest  replaced 
by  new  values  far  better  than  the  old.  Have  faith  to  go 
forward.  The  lions  at  the  top  of  the  Hill  Difficulty  roar 
loudly,  and  Timorous  and  Mistrust  come  scampering 
breathless  down.  Let  the  true  pilgrims  boldly  climb  the 
hill;  and  when  they  come  to  pass  the  lions  they  shall  find 
them  safely  chained. 

A  Simplified  Plan. — For  those  who  still  feel  that  the 
closely  graded  system,  whatever  its  merits,  is  beyond  the 
power  of  their  school  to  handle,  and  particularly  for  the 
leaders  of  small  schools,  it  is  worth  noting  that  the  plan  of 
departmental  lessons — only  one  lesson  at  a  time  in  each 
department — has  been  worked  out,  and  that  lessons  pre- 
pared especially  for  use  in  this  way  are  now  to  be  had. 
The  Presbyterian  and  Reformed  publishing  houses,  acting 
together,  now  issue  three  sets  of  lesson  helps.  Beginners, 
Primary,  and  Junior,  based  on  the  International  Graded 
Course.  These  helps  are  issued  periodically,  each  lesson 
being  dated.  The  plan  is  to  cover  each  departmental 
course  in  rotation.  For  the  well-organized  school  the  sys- 
tem graded  by  years  is  the  ideal  system,  but  to  many 
schools  it  will  be  found  more  convenient  to  grade  by  de- 
partments, and  thus  take  a  step  toward  the  ideal. 

Further  information,  and  samples  of  the  Departmental 
Graded  Lessons,  may  be  secured  from  the  publishers  of  this 
volume. 

135 


IV 

INTRODUCING  THE  ELEMENTARY  LESSONS 

Books  or  Lessons? — ^The  printed  textbook  pages  are 
not  the  lesson;  the  lesson  is  what  takes  place  when  an 
average  teacher,  under  reasonably  favorable  circum- 
stances, comes  to  Sunday  school  and  uses  these  pages 
in  teaching  his  class,  and  when  his  pupils  in  like  man- 
ner use  their  pupils'  helps  and  their  Bibles  in  this  week's 
work  on  the  lesson.  It  follows  that  we  do  not  intro- 
duce the  lessons  by  merely  introducing  the  books.  To 
order  a  full  set  of  graded  lesson  textbooks,  hand  them 
out  as  we  have  been  wont  to  hand  out  the  uniform 
lesson  quarterlies  and  announce  that  next  Sunday  we 
shall  start  using  the  new  graded  lessons, — ^that  is  to  court 
all  kinds  of  trouble  and  failure.  These  lessons  ought 
not  to  be  touched  by  any  Sunday  school  that  is  not  willing 
to  go  about  the  work  of  introducing  the  lessons  in  an  in- 
telligent way.  Nor  should  any  worker  lightly  say,  ''We 
introduced  the  graded  lessons  and  they  were  a  failure." 
He  probably  did  not  introduce  the  lessons  at  all,  but  only 
the  books;  and  though  there  was  no  doubt  a  failure  some- 
where in  his  enterprise,  it  may  have  been  something  else 
than  the  books  that  failed.  Mowing  machines  and  fireless 
cookers  have  been  known  to  fail  in  that  same  way. 

These  are  educational  lessons.  Introducing  them  is 
part  of  the  work  of  putting  the  Sunday  school  on  an  edu- 
cational basis.  It  is,  therefore,  an  educational  task  and 
needs  the  services  of  some  one  who  understands  educa- 

136 


THE  GRADED  LESSONS 

tional  matters.  A  Christian  school-teacher  or  principal, 
or  a  pastor  trained  at  the  seminary  in  religious  pedagogy, 
might  well  be  called  in  as  expert  adviser  to  assist  in  this 
task,  unless  the  superintendent  himself  is  a  trained  edu- 
cational man.  A  permanent  director  of  instruction, 
as  we  shall  see,  is  needed  in  the  work  of  a  graded  Sunday 
school;  and  if  such  an  officer  can  be  secured  at  the  start, 
so  much  the  better.  If  not,  let  the  superintendent  at 
least  understand  that  this  is  no  easy  task,  and  that  he 
must  not  depend  on  his  experience  with  the  uniform  lessons. 

The  Logical  Beginning. — ^The  logical  place  to  start 
graded  work  is  always  with  the  younger  children.  If 
the  school  has  a  Primary  Department  or  class,  but  no  be- 
ginners class,  take  up  with  the  primary  teacher  the  matter 
of  introducing  the  graded  primary  lessons  in  her  depart- 
ment. If  she  has  but  one  large  primary  class,  the  school 
being  small,  let  her  begin  with  the  first-year  primary 
lessons,  teaching  the  lesson  to  all  her  pupils  together. 
Let  her  begin  with  the  proper  lesson  for  the  Sunday  when 
she  intends  to  start, — ^Lesson  14  for  the  first  Sunday  in 
January,  Lesson  27  for  the  first  Sunday  in  April,  Lesson 
40  for  the  first  Sunday  in  July,  Lesson  1  for  the  first  Sun- 
day in  October,  or  whatever  may  be  her  opening  Sunday's 
number  in  the  graded  lesson  year.  To  start  with  Lesson 
1  on  the  first  of  January  would  give  the  children  their 
Christmas  lesson  at  Easter  time  and  their  Thanksgiving 
lesson  at  Washington's  Birthday.  Do  not  worry  as  to  the 
lessons  these  children  will  thus  fail  to  get.  Forget  the 
things  that  are  behind:  get  into  step  at  once  and  march 
with  the  procession.  Follow  this  as  a  principle  through- 
out all  the  work  of  introducing  the  lessons. 

137 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

In  providing  the  primary  teacher  with  her  materials 
see  that  she  has  that  one  of  the  four  parts  of  the  Teacher's 
Manual  for  the  first  primary  year  which  covers  the  lessons 
she  is  to  start  with,  and  the  previous  parts  of  that  year. 
If  she  is  to  begin  with  Lesson  27  on  the  first  of  April,  she 
will  need  Parts  I,  II  and  HI;  then  Part  IV  will  be  needed 
in  June.  The  first  part  of  the  teacher's  helper  in  each 
course,  for  all  departments,  contains  the  general  Foreword 
or  introduction,  and  Part  II  usually  carries  the  list  of 
lessons  for  the  year.  Sample  sets  of  the  pupils'  folders 
for  each  of  these  parts  are  also  needed.  The  Teacher's 
Manual  is  permanent  material  and  will  be  used  again.  If 
others  assist  in  the  Primary  Department,  all  should  be 
similarly  supplied. 

All  these  supplies  for  the  teachers  should  be  in  their 
hands  at  least  one  month  before  the  teaching  of  the  lessons 
is  to  begin.  The  primary  teacher  and  her  helpers  need  to 
study  with  care  not  merely  the  first  lesson  or  two,  but  the 
work  of  the  whole  year.  The  Foreword  is  a  little  teacher- 
training  textbook  in  itself,  and  several  weeks  of  a  busy 
woman's  time  is  none  too  much  to  allow  for  a  careful 
mastery  of  its  ideas  and  comprehension  of  the  purpose 
and  aim  of  the  lessons  and  the  reasons  for  their  various 
details.  Two  months,  indeed,  would  be  better.  This 
also  applies  to  every  course. 

In  such  a  small  Sunday  school  as  we  have  supposed,  the 
primary  teacher,  beginning  thus  at  some  point  in  the  first 
year  of  the  three  years  of  primary  graded  lessons,  will  go 
on  to  the  second  year  and  then  to  the  third,  and  will 
finish  the  course  on  the  last  Sunday  of  September,  three 
years  or  less  from  the  time  when  she  began.  The  next 
Sunday  she  will  begin  with  Lesson  1  of  the  first  year  and 

138 


THE  GRADED  LESSONS 

teach  the  same  three  years'  lessons  over  again,  using  the 
same  Teacher's  Manual,  but,  of  course,  furnishing  new 
folders  to  the  pupils.  These  three  years  of  primary  teach- 
ing are  thus  her  own  regular  lesson  course;  and  every 
time  she  and  her  workers  go  over  the  ground  they  will 
find  new  ways  of  making  the  lessons  a  success. 

The  primary  pupils,  ranging,  we  may  suppose,  from  three 
years  in  age  to  nine,  will  receive  each  week  a  ' 'primary 
folder," — a  four-page  lesson  paper  carrying  a  picture, 
a  story,  a  Bible  verse,  a  verse  or  two  of  rhyme  and  an 
outline  picture  or  motto  to  be  colored.  These  folders 
take  the  place  of  any  picture  cards  and  children's  papers 
that  the  school  may  have  hitherto  furnished  to  these  chil- 
dren. The  story  on  them  is  the  lesson  story  which  the 
teacher  tells  for  the  day.  They  are  not  intended  for  use 
previous  to  the  lesson  and  must  on  no  account  be  given 
out  before  the  close  of  the  hour.  Learning  the  Sunday- 
school  lesson,  for  these  little  children,  should  consist  in 
taking  home  the  pretty  folder,  telling  mother  what  teacher 
said,  reading  over  or  letting  mother  read  aloud  the  lesson 
story,  learning  the  verses  and  with  colored  crayons 
finishing  the  picture  or  motto.  The  parent's  help  is 
needed  as  much  as  ever,  but  it  should  come  after,  not 
before,  the  teacher's  work. 

Grading  the  Primary  Department. — If  the  school  is 
one  of  a  hundred  members  or  more,  there  will  be  primary 
children  enough  to  separate  into  grades.  The  basis  of 
separation  at  the  start  should  be  first  age,  then  size  and 
then  capacity.  In  nine  cases  out  of  ten,  for  these  years, 
age-grading  will  be  right;  but  certain  children  may  need 
to  be  otherwise  handled  on  account  of  their  physical 

139 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

growth  or  their  mental  capacities.  On  this  latter  point 
the  public-school  grading  is  a  convenient  guide.  One 
advantage  of  having  a  director  of  instruction,  elected  and 
publicly  recognized  as  such,  is  that  he  or  she  can,  when 
necessary,  take  hold  of  this  matter  in  an  educational 
way  and  settle  it  without  fear  or  favor.  Usually,  however, 
the  primary  teacher,  knowing  her  own  children,  can  grade 
them  herself  after  the  plan  of  grading  has  been  agreed 
upon. 

With  the  primary  children  arranged  in  classes,  the  erst- 
while primary  teacher  becomes  the  primary  superintend- 
ent and  should  be  so  called.  Four  divisions  should  be 
made,  either  all  at  once  or  class  by  class,  as  teachers  can 
be  found.  There  is  no  need  whatever,  at  this  age,  of 
separating  boys  and  girls.  One  group  will  contain  all 
the  children  who  have  passed  their  sixth,  but  not  their 
seventh  birthday;  another  those  who  are  seven,  but  not 
yet  eight;  another  those  not  yet  nine.  Pupils  nine  or 
over  are  properly  juniors,  and  belong  in  the  next  higher 
class.  The  pupils  below  six  are  the  beginners;  we  treat 
them  as  a  fourth  class  in  the  Primary  Department  because 
in  so  many  Sunday  schools  that  is  where  they  now  are. 
In  truth,  they  should  form  a  department  of  their  own,  as 
we  shall  see.  But  at  least  they  should  have  a  separate 
teacher  and  a  corner  curtained  off  for  their  use. 

With  three  or  more  graded  classes  in  the  Primary  Depart- 
ment the  primary  graded  lessons  can,  if  desired,  be  at  once 
installed  as  they  were  meant  to  be  used,  each  grade  teach- 
ing its  own  lesson.  This  calls  for  a  separate  primary  room 
with  a  department  program,  though  there  are  ways  of 
making  shift  without  either.  The  primary  superintendent 
now  conducts  the  program,  which  is  full  of  important 

140 


A 


THE  GRADED  LESSONS 

instruction  not  connected  with  the  lessons,  but  supple- 
mental thereto.  The  whole  of  her  hour,  opening  and 
closing  and  all  between,  should  be  in  her  own  room.  A 
portion  of  the  time  is  spent  in  class  teaching  and  ac- 
tivity, including  the  teaching  of  the  graded  lessons  by 
the  class  teachers.  For  the  first  year  or  part  of  a  year  the 
primary  superintendent  may  teach  the  first-year  lessons 
to  the  whole  department,  but  as  soon  as  possible  the  teach- 
ers should  take  charge  of  the  lesson  work,  each  teaching 
the  lesson  for  her  grade. 

Beginners  and  Juniors. — ^These  classes  or  grades  being 
provided  for,  it  is  time  to  take  care  of  the  begin- 
ners. The  beginners'  teacher  is  in  charge  of  a  work 
represented  in  the  day-school  system  by  the  kinder- 
garten; and  we  realize  to-day  that  this  work  with 
the  four-  and  five-year-old  children  is  the  foundation 
work  of  the  whole  Sunday  school,  and  well  deserves  the 
best  room,  equipment  and  teaching  force  we  know  how  to 
give  it.  So  we  secure  the  brightest  and  best-equipped 
teacher  we  can  find,  give  her  an  entirely  separate  room  if 
we  can — a  room,  light,  spacious  and  on  the  street  floor, 
with  a  piano — and  place  in  her  hands  the  beginners  graded 
lessons.  The  beginners  course  is  two  years  long,  but  it 
is  usual  to  teach  one  lesson  to  the  whole  department, 
even  where  there  are  two  or  more  circles  whose  teachers 
could  teach  different  lessons  if  that  were  desirable.  To 
keep  all  together  for  the  two-years'  course,  promoting 
some  each  year  or  half-year,  and  regularly  repeating  the 
course,  is  declared  by  our  elementary  leaders  to  be  the 
wisest  plan.    In  a  small  school,  of  course,  it  is  the  only  plan. 

The  junior  lessons  come  next.    It  is  possible  to  start 

141 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

these  and  the  higher  courses  on  the  first  of  January,  April 
or  July,  but  it  is  a  much  simpler  task  to  introduce  them 
at  the  beginning  of  the  graded  year.  The  school  needs, 
of  course,  a  graded  organization  of  classes  in  order  to  handle 
the  graded  lessons;  so  our  first  task  will  be  to  lay  out  the 
plan  of  a  graded  Junior  Department  if  one  is  not  already 
formed.  April  is  none  too  early  for  this  work,  if  we 
propose  to  start  the  lessons  in  October. 

Here  again  our  director  of  instruction  has  a  work  to  do. 
This  is  the  work:  Make  a  list  of  all  pupils,  by  classes, 
whose  ages  average,  class  by  class,  from  nine  to  twelve. 
In  a  small  school  these  children  will  be  in  one  or  a  small 
group  of  classes,  several  grades  in  a  class.  In  a  school  of 
one  hundred  and  fifty  members  there  will  be  six  or  seven 
such  classes,  nearly  enough  to  assign  one  boys'  class  and 
one  girls'  class  to  each  of  the  four  grades.  In  a  larger 
school  there  will  be  a  group  of  classes  for  each  grade. 
But  in  any  one  of  these  cases  the  graded  roll  of  individual 
pupils  will  indicate  to  which  of  the  four  junior  grades  the 
pupil  belongs,  and  how  many  years  he  has  to  spend  in 
the  department  before  he  is  promoted,  on  the  Promotion 
Day  following  his  twelfth  birthday.  All  this  can  be  done 
without  any  present  rearrangement  of  classes  or  inter- 
ruption of  the  weekly  work. 

In  settiing  special  cases,  remember  that  we  need  flexi- 
bility, tact  and  common  sense  in  Sunday-school  work, 
as  well  as  consistency  and  faithfulness.  The  pupils 
themselves  can  often  help  us  if  we  will  let  them.  Here 
and  there  the  director  will  note  pupils  who  should  be 
transferred  to  some  other  class  as  soon  as  it  can  be  done 
without  undue  friction.  Such  transfers  should  if  possible 
be  made  during  the  year;  if  left  till  Promotion  Sunday 

142 


THE  GRADED  LESSONS 

the  move  will  look  like  penalizing  or  demotion.  Get 
the  teacher  of  the  class  to  which  the  transferees  should 
go  to  get  his  pupils  to  invite  them  over.  Arrange  at  the 
same  time  for  the  teacher  from  whom  they  should  go  to 
be  ready  to  consent,  with  proper  reluctance,  when  the 
invited  pupils  raise  the  subject  and  ask  his  advice.  If  the 
graded  lessons  can  be  introduced  into  a  set  of  well-graded 
classes  they  will  have  a  better  chance. 

The  Junior  Lessons. — A  junior  superintendent  should 
now  be  chosen,  and  copies  of  the  various  junior  text- 
books placed  in  his  or  her  hands  for  study  and  careful 
distribution  to  the  junior  teachers.  The  same  principles 
govern  here  as  have  already  been  stated;  that  is,  the  books 
should  be  handed  out  in  July  or  August  or  earlier,  each 
teacher  receiving  the  Teacher's  Manual,  Part  I,  and  a 
sample  of  the  pupil's  book  to  go  with  it,  for  whichever 
of  the  four  junior  years  he  is  to  teach.  Where  there  is 
but  one  junior  class,  it  must,  of  course,  follow  one  year 
only,  and  may  start  with  the  first.  If  the  teachers  have 
plenty  of  time  to  study  their  books  and  work  out,  as  they 
should,  all  the  tasks  assigned  to  the  pupil  for  the  whole 
of  the  first  part,  and  if  the  work  is  explained  to  them  by  a 
director  who  believes  in  the  lessons  and  sees  how  they  are 
related  to  the  lesson  aim,  a  good  start  can  be  made  on  aU 
four  grades  abreast  on  the  first  Sunday  in  October. 

Departmental  Lessons. — The  school  with  only  five 
classes  must  grade  departmentally  or  not  at  all.  Some 
larger  schools,  also,  feel  unable  to  manage  what  looks  to 
them  like  a  complex  system  of  grades  and,  therefore,  prefer 
the  departmental  way.     To  meet  the  needs  of  such  schools, 

143 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

the  International  elementary  graded  lessons,  slightly  modi- 
fied, are  now  issued  by  certain  denominational  publishers 
in  departmental  form.  For  each  of  the  three  elementary 
departments  there  is  but  one  lesson  at  a  time,  issued  period- 
ically and  written  to  fit  the  needs  of  all  the  years  of  that 
department.  Using  these  departmental  lessons,  many 
teachers  in  schools  hitherto  ungraded  can  now  give  to  their 
classes  many  of  the  benefits  of  the  modern  graded  lesson 
system. 


144 


INTRODUCING  THE  SECONDARY  LESSONS 

With  a  well-trained  and  self-reliant  director  of  instruc- 
tion, appointed  and  sustained  by  the  church  as  well  as 
by  the  Sunday  school,  or  with  a  pastor  or  other  worker 
who  is  an  actual  educational  leader,  though  not  so  named, 
or  without  such  a  leader,  but  with  a  hearty  spirit  of  pro- 
gressiveness  and  desire  for  the  best  actuating  the  teachers, 
it  might  be  safe  to  introduce  the  intermediate  and  senior 
graded  lessons  on  the  same  October  Sunday  as  that  which 
sees  the  work  of  the  juniors  first  put  in  operation.  Under 
any  other  circumstances  it  is  a  risky  thing  to  do. 

Getting  the  Vision. — ^There  are  several  reasons  for  this. 
The  problem  of  the  right  rehgious  teaching  of  the  adoles- 
cent boys  and  girls  is  one  which  the  church  has  never 
solved.  The  way  these  boys  and  girls  both  drop  away 
from  us  in  those  years  is  clear  enough  proof  of  that,  if 
we  should  in  our  dignity  hesitate  to  confess  it.  The 
new  courses  are  an  honest  and  courageous  attempt  to 
solve  this  great  problem.  Those  who  worked  them  out 
were  explorers  and  experimenters;  and  though  they  con- 
fidently believe  that  they  are  on  the  right  track,  yet  as  to 
the  finish  and  detail  of  their  printed  apparatus  they  count 
not  themselves  to  have  attained.  The  Sunday  school 
that,  without  a  vision  of  the  need  for  real  spiritual  leader- 
ship for  these  splendid  but  trying  boys  and  girls,  plunges 

145 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

blindly  forward  merely  because  graded  lessons  are  said 
to  be  the  proper  thing,  will  fare  as  badly  as  Pliable  in 
the  Slough  of  Despond.  Go  slow.  Let  the  junior 
lessons  run  a  year  before  you  undertake  intermediate 
problems. 

Moreover,  we  want  a  few  junior  graduates  to  start 
business  with.  It  was  stated  before  that  the  logical  place 
to  start  grading  is  in  the  lower  departments.  Why? 
Because  children  do  not  grow  down ;  they  grow  up.  Every 
one  of  the  graded  lesson  courses  was  planned  with  the 
assumption  that  the  pupils  have  been  over  the  courses 
preceding.  While  the  lessons  are  being  introduced,  of 
course,  this  is  not  true;  but  that  is  merely  the  transition 
stage.  Every  year  of  graded  life  brings  us  nearer  to  the 
time  when  every  junior  will  have  had  all  the  primary 
lessons  and  every  intermediate  all  the  junior  lessons. 
Much  of  the  interest  of  the  intermediate  lessons  depends 
on  the  pupils'  famiharity  with  the  narratives  of  the  Bible. 
From  these  narratives,  which  constitute  the  junior  lessons, 
they  are  now  to  take  the  biographical  elements  and  re- 
construct Abraham,  Moses,  Joshua  and  other  characters 
as  living  personalities,  men  worth  knowing.  One  reason 
why  some  Sunday  schools  have  had  a  hard  time  with  these 
lessons  is  that  the  pupils,  having  had  only  the  fragmentary 
and  irregular  studies  of  the  uniform  lessons,  knew  so  little 
about  the  men  chosen  that  the  labor  of  learning  the  facts 
took  the  interest  out  of  the  work.  Later  classes  ^\dll  do 
better,  for  they  will  come  to  these  lessons  prepared  to 
handle  and  enjoy  them.  By  waiting  a  year  we  make  a 
start  in  this  direction.  Nevertheless,  if  the  teachers 
are  ready  to  start  at  once,  do  not  hold  them  back;  for  the 
need  is  great.     These  considerations  do  not  apply  with  the 

146 


THE  GRADED  LESSONS 

same  force  to  the  senior  lessons,  at  least  as  to  the  first 
year;  though  there,  too,  caution  is  desirable. 

Study  the  Aim. — In  giving  out  the  intermediate  and 
senior  books  for  the  teachers  to  study  prior  to  beginning 
their  work,  call  their  special  attention  to  the  aims  of  the 
courses,  and  remind  them  that  these  lessons,  like  all  in 
the  series,  are  cultural  rather  than  informational  in  char- 
acter. The  aim  of  each  lesson  in  the  first  year  interme- 
diate is  to  help  the  boys  or  girls  to  know  David  or  Haggai 
as  a  man,  and  to  feel  the  power,  whatever  it  may  have 
been,  of  his  personahty  by  studying  who  he  was,  what  he 
did  and  what  he  stood  for.  Now  the  moment  we  succeed 
in  doing  this,  we  have  taught  the  lesson,  whether  we  get 
over  all  the  lesson  material  or  not.  Teaching  one  of  these 
lessons  is  something  like  starting  an  automobile.  When 
the  engine  starts  the  cranking  is  over;  after  that  the  task 
is  to  guide  the  machine.  After  the  boys  are  well  interested 
in  David  and  are  themselves  at  work  gathering  and  ar- 
ranging the  Bible  information  about  him,  the  teacher's 
task  is  to  lead  them  into  forms  of  expression,  not  to  impress 
on  them  more  information  or  exhort  them  to  the  imitating 
of  David's  virtues  and  the  avoidance  of  his  sins.  Many 
of  these  lessons  have  failed  for  lack  of  thus  following  the 
aim.  Many  workers  have  judged  them  too  hard  because 
there  is  so  much  in  them  to  learn.  If  so,  leave  out  the 
surplus,  taking  just  enough  to  enable  you  to  make  the 
lesson  do  its  appointed  service  for  your  pupils'  souls. 

Impress  on  the  teachers,  also,  the  need  of  a  careful  study 
of  the  Foreword  and  other  suggestions  in  the  teachers' 
helps.  This  work  is  on  a  very  different  plan  from  any- 
thing the  ordinary  Sunday-school  teacher  has  ever  done 

147 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

before.  The  first  impulse,  especially  of  an  older  teacher, 
will  be  to  criticize  and  reject  the  lessons  or  some  of  their 
features.  Be  patient.  Nobody  can  be  a  good  teacher 
who  is  not  willing  to  be  taught  himself.  Study  these 
lessons  until  you  catch  the  ideal,  the  vision,  that  lies 
behind  them.  After  that  you  may  improve  on  them  and 
adapt  them  by  changes  to  your  pupils'  needs  as  much  as 
you  like;  but  first  do  them  justice. 


148 


VI 
SUGGESTIONS  FOR  MANAGEMENT 

Graded  lessons,  of  course,  require  a  graded  Sunday 
school;  and  no  Sunday  school,  however  well  graded  to-day, 
will  stay  graded  unless  we  make  provision  for  an  annual 
readjustment  of  the  fixed  graded  structure  to  the  growing 
lives  of  the  children.  This  readjustment  is  effected 
through  the  holding  of  an  annual  Promotion  Day.  As 
the  lesson  courses  start  with  the  first  Sunday  of  October, 
the  last  Sunday  of  September  is  the  most  convenient  time 
for  this.  The  popular  exercises  of  Rally  Day  can  easily 
be  merged  into  this  more  purposeful  educational  ob- 
servance. 

Promotion. — All  honor  should  be  lent  to  the  day.  The 
director  of  instruction  is  the  real  officer  of  the  day,  though 
the  superintendent  conducts  the  program.  Each  pupil 
outside  the  adult  classes  goes  up  one  grade,  except  in  a  few 
individual  cases  where  demotion  is  obviously  called  for. 
Honor  is  given  to  those  whose  finished  graded  work  merits 
honor,  but  the  others  go  up  just  the  same;  they  had  their 
chance,  and  we  need  their  places  for  those  coming  on. 
In  large  Sunday  schools  the  promotions  are  by  classes, 
the  teachers  being  assigned  to  new  classes  of  younger  age 
in  the  same  department.  In  smaller  schools  the  classes 
are  fixed  and  individual  pupils  of  graduating  age  are  pro- 
moted, while  others  join  the  class  from  below. 

The  senior  promotions  to  the  adult  classes  first  take 

149 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

place;  and  the  new  grading  of  the  undergraduate  seniors 
is  read  from  the  graded  roll,  with  honors  as  merited. 
Then  the  fourth  year  intermediates  are  promoted  to  the 
senior  department,  and  their  new  department  roll  is  read 
in  like  manner.  In  each  case  the  department  graduates 
rise  and  march  to  their  new  places,  while  the  others  shift 
seats  as  the  roll  of  their  grade  is  called.  The  elementary 
graduations, — junior  to  intermediate,  primary  to  junior, 
beginners  to  primary  and  * 'cradle-rollers"  to  beginners, — 
can  be  made  a  beautiful  and  touching  ceremony,  sugges- 
tions for  which  may  be  found  in  the  elementary  graded 
manuals.  Be  careful,  however,  to  deal  with  the  older 
pupils  in  quieter  and  more  grown-up  fashion,  and  avoid 
asking  the  older  boys  to  make  themselves  individually 
conspicuous.  Diplomas  may  be  given  to  the  depart- 
ment graduates. 

The  Director  of  Instruction. — A  clearer  idea  of  the  need 
for  a  personal  director  of  instruction  may  be  seen  if  we 
enumerate  some  of  the  things  which  such  an  officer  may 
properly  do.  In  a  well-organized  school,  however,  much 
of  the  director's  work  wiU  be  syndicated  in  the  hands 
of  department  superintendents  and  helpers;  and  a  good 
director  will  labor  to  that  end.  These  are  some  of  his 
responsibilities:  to  prepare  the  orders  for  graded  lesson 
books  and  material;  to  assist  teachers  in  lesson  planning; 
to  give  special  attention  to  backward  pupils  and  classes 
falling  behind;  to  act  as  temporary  substitute  teacher; 
to  hear  memory  work;  to  inspect  pupils'  work  and  award 
honors;  to  keep  the  graded  roll;  to  suggest  new  books  for 
the  library  bearing  on  the  lessons;  to  prepare  the  school 
for  Promotion  Sunday. 

150 


THE  GRADED  LESSONS 

The  graded  roll  is  simply  a  list  of  all  the  pupils,  be- 
ginning with  the  beginners,  arranged  by  classes  and  de- 
partments as  far  as  possible,  with  blanks  for  new  names  to 
come  in  during  the  year.  Opposite  each  name  is  the  pu- 
pil's grade  for  the  year,  P  1,  I  2,  etc.,  indicating  primary 
first  grade,  intermediate  second  grade,  etc.;  also  his  birth- 
day and  the  class  in  which  he  is  this  year  enrolled.  A 
column  should  be  left  for  remarks.  A  small  blank  book 
can  easily  be  ruled  for  this  purpose.  Addresses  and 
records  of  attendance  are  for  the  class  books  and  the  sec- 
retary's record.     Group  each  grade  separately. 

Working  Together. — A  stated  monthly  meeting  of  the 
officers  and  teachers  of  all  departments  should  be  held 
on  a  week  night,  for  the  study  and  discussion  of  the 
many  problems  of  the  Sunday  school.  The  presidents 
of  the  organized  adult  classes  should  be  made  members 
of  this  body.  "Sunday-school  board"  is  the  customary 
designation  in  Methodist  usage,  and  a  very  good  name. 
"Workers'  conference"  is  the  designation  in  the  new  joint 
standard.  If  the  superintendent  is  wise,  he  will  see  that 
the  pastor  is  made  chairman  or  moderator,  with  the  under- 
standing that  he  presides  over,  but  does  not  run,  the  meet- 
ing; that  being  done  by  the  superintendent  as  floor  leader 
under  parliamentary  rules.  The  hour  of  adjournment 
must  be  as  definite  as  that  of  calling  to  order.  If  business 
is  dispatched  in  forty-five  minutes,  the  next  thirty  can 
be  spent  in  department  caucuses  in  which  the  lesson  prob- 
lems can  be  studied  in  detail.  Much  graded-lesson  friction 
can  be  lubricated  with  a  workers'  conference  regularly  held. 

The  teachers  and  leaders  in  each  department  need  the 
help  of  contact  with  their  fellow  teachers  of  like  depart- 

151 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

ments  in  other  Sunday  schools.  Whatever  faciUties  for 
this  exist  in  city,  county,  state  and  denominational  con- 
nection should  be  used  to  the  full.  No  Sunday  school 
can  afford  to  work  on  the  vast  problems  of  graded  instruc- 
tion alone.  The  graded  union  or  city  institute  should  be 
loyally  attended;  and  every  year  should  see  one  or  more 
of  the  key  workers  sent  at  the  school's  expense  to  the 
nearest  school  of  methods  for  a  week  of  instruction  and 
uplift.  The  schools  that  have  done  this  in  the  past  are 
to-day  having  little  trouble  with  the  graded  lessons. 

As  the  superintendent  reviews  this  plan  of  work,  he 
may  be  pardoned  for  asking  in  a  dazed  sort  of  way,  "Where 
do  I  come  in?"  What  is  there  left  for  him  to  do?  More 
than  ever.  With  the  uniform  lessons  now  merely  one  of 
several  courses  being  followed  in  the  main  room,  they 
can  no  longer  be  the  unifying  factor  for  the  day.  Now  the 
way  is  open  to  give  each  Sunday  its  own  lesson.  The 
superintendent's  course  is  the  calendar.  A  service  book 
for  the  superintendent,  with  a  platform  suggestion  for 
every  Sunday  in  the  year,  is  now  being  issued  by  at  least 
one  denominational  house  ;^  but  a  superintendent  with 
ideas  could  easily  make  his  own.  Make  the  closing  service 
brief  and  devotional.  Let  the  theme  of  the  day  guide  the 
selections  of  the  opening  service,  and  close  that  service 
with  a  Bible  hymn,  a  showing  of  Bibles  and  a  prayer 
for  God's  blessing  on  the  lessons  to  be  studied  in  the 
classes. 

Festival  Days.— The  festivals  of  the  Sunday  school 
should  be  put  into  educational  relationship  with  the  work 

1  "  The  Westminster  Sunday-school  Superintendents'  Service 
Book."     Planned  for  annual  publication  by  the  Westminster : 

152 


THE  GRADED  LESSONS 

of  the  year.  Besides  the  fun-night  at  Christmas,  or  in 
connection  with  it,  a  pubHc  exhibition  should  be  given 
of  some  of  the  good  work  our  departments  have  done 
during  the  fall  quarter.  Another  such  may  be  given  at 
Children's  Day;  perhaps  one  a  quarter.  Properly  worked 
up  to  and  wisely  and  brightly  handled,  fully  as  much  popu- 
lar interest  can  be  evoked  with  a  picturesque  Bible 
dialogue  or  drama,  a  sand  map  demonstration  of  the 
journeys  of  Jesus,  a  primary  recitation  of  texts  and  lesson 
poems,  an  intermediate  debate  on  the  relative  merits  of 
Joseph  and  Moses,  or  a  brace  of  senior  essays  on  the  medi- 
cal missionary  and  the  trained  nurse  as  factors  in  the 
progress  of  Christian  civilization.  If  these  graded  courses 
have  been  dragging  a  little,  a  tonic  of  this  sort  may  set 
them  on  their  feet  again. 

The  End  of  the  Work. — ^The  end  of  all  our  graded  lesson 
work  is  salvation.  Salvation  includes  conversion;  but 
it  neither  begins  nor  ends  there.  The  tiny  beginner  needs 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  the  honest  but  blundering 
and  sinning  young  follower  of  Jesus  needs  him  too.  We 
want  maximum,  not  minimum  Christians,  heroes  and 
heroines  of  faith  and  service,  the  seeds  of  a  generation 
that  shall  take  the  world  for  Christ.  The  one  ruling  pur- 
pose that  underlies  every  year  of  the  International  Graded 
Lessons  is  to  help  the  Sunday  schools  of  North  America 
to  make  that  dream  come  true. 


153 


THE   SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 


VI 
THE  ELEMENTARY  DIVISION 

BY 

MAUD  JUNKIN   BALDWIN 


155 


THE   ELEMENTARY  DIVISION 


INTRODUCTORY 

Scope. — In  this  division  of  the  Sunday  school,  Christian 
education  is  provided  for  the  children  from  the  time  they 
are  born  until  they  are  thirteen  years  of  age.  The  division 
includes  four  departments,  as  follows: 

The  Cradle  Roll  Department,  which  provides  for  the 
children  from  the  time  they  are  born  until  they  are  three 
or  four  years  of  age.  The  members  of  this  department 
do  not,  as  a  rule,  attend  the  regular  sessions  of  the  Sunday 
school. 

The  Beginners  Department,  which  cares  for  all  the  chil- 
dren under  six  years  of  age  who  attend  the  regular  sessions 
of  the  school. 

The  Primary  Department,  which  cares  for  the  children 
six,  seven,  and  eight  years  of  age. 

The  Junior  Department,  which  looks  after  the  boys  and 
girls  nine,  ten,  eleven  and  twelve  years  of  age. 


157 


II 

THE  CRADLE  ROLL 

What  Is  It?— The  Cradle  Roll  is  workable  in  all  com- 
munities— rural,  village,  city — in  the  small  and  in  the  large 
school.  There  are  three  essentials  to  its  organization: 
a  baby,  a  Sunday  school,  and  a  person  who  loves  babies, 
to  act  as  superintendent. 

The  Purpose  of  the  Work. — To  bring  all  babies  under  the 
care  of  the  Church  and  Sunday  school  in  order  that  their 
lives  may  be  kept  for  Christ;  to  impress  early  upon  the 
minds  of  the  children  the  fact  that  the  Church  loves  them, 
thus  insuring  that  they  will  some  day  love  the  Church; 
to  deepen  the  responsibility  of  parents  for  the  early  and 
right  religious  training  of  their  babies;  to  win  for  Christ 
the  parents  who  have  not  yet  confessed  his  name. 

Membership. — The  follow^ing  are  eligible  for  member- 
ship: 

All  babies  of  members  of  the  Church. 

All  baby  brothers  and  sisters  of  the  members  of  the 
Sunday  school. 

All  babies  of  the  communities  whose  fathers  and  mothers 
belong  to  no  church. 

All  babies  of  strangers  moving  into  the  neighborhood  of 
a  church  who  show  no  preference  for  any  other  church. 

The  babies  may  become  members  at  birth,  and  should 
remain  in  the  department  until  three  or  four  years  of  age, 

158 


THE  ELEMENTARY  DIVISION 

or  until  they  can  attend  the  regular  sessions  of  the  Sunday 
school. 

The  Superintendent. — Some  person  should  be  placed 
at  the  head  of  the  work.  Preferably,  she  should  be  one  of 
the  younger  mothers  of  the  church  and  not  engaged  in  any 
other  department  of  the  Sunday-school  work.  Some- 
times this  work  is  delegated  to  the  beginners  or  primary 
teachers  or  the  Home  Department  superintendent,  but 
all  of  these  persons  have  enough  to  do  if  they  are  properly 
developing  their  own  departments.  The  only  wise  plan 
is  to  appoint  or  elect  some  one  to  fill  the  oflice  who  can 
give  the  work  time,  thought,  and  prayer. 

These  are  the  chief  of  her  duties: 

1.  To  organize  the  department. 

2.  To  procure  the  necessary  or  proper  equipment. 

3.  To  keep  accurate  records. 

4.  To  visit  the  members  in  their  homes. 

5.  To  invite  the  parents  to  the  Sunday  school. 

6.  To  acquaint    the    pastor    with    conditions    which 
necessitate  his  attention. 

7.  To  send  birthday  cards  to  the  members. 

8.  To  conduct  the  Cradle  Roll  Service  in  the  Begin- 
ners or  Primary  departments. 

9.  To  arrange  mothers'  or  parents'  meetings. 

10.  To  plan  the  annual  promotion  service. 

11.  To  interest  the  community  in  providing  an  environ- 
ment in  which  babies  may  live  and  grow  like  Christ. 

Equipment. 

1.  Application  Cards.  To  send  or  take  to  the  home 
for  the  purpose  of  securing  the  name,  age,  and  address  of 

159 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

the  baby;  also  the  parents'  names.    These  cards  are  to  be 
returned  to  the  Cradle  Roll  superintendent. 

2.  Membership  Certificates.  A  certificate  is  given  to 
the  baby  to  show  the  relation  established  between  the 
church  and  the  child. 

3.  Birthday  Cards.  To  send  to  the  baby  on  his  or  her 
birthday.  There  are  assorted  cards  to  be  used  for  one-, 
two-  and  three-year-old  babies. 

4.  A  record  book  in  which  to  keep  an  accurate  record 
of  the  names,  addresses,  birthdays  of  the  babies;  and  of 
the  work  done  by  the  superintendent  in  sending  out  cards 
and  literature,  visiting  the  home,  planning  for  meetings. 

5.  A  Cradle  Roll.  To  hang  in  the  Sunday-school  room, 
with  the  names  of  the  Cradle-Roll  babies  written  on  it. 
This  is  not  absolutely  necessary,  but  very  desirable. 

6.  Promotion  Certificates.  To  be  given  to  a  baby  when 
old  enough  to  be  enrolled  in  the  Beginners  Department. 

7.  A  small  Cradle  Roll  library. 

A  sufficient  quantity  of  these  supplies  to  start  a  Cradle 
Roll  of  twenty-five  can  be  purchased  for  one  dollar. 

Organizing. 

1.  Appoint  or  elect  the  superintendent. 

2.  Announce  the  organization  of  the  Cradle  Roll  to  the 
members  of  the  church  and  to  the  members  of  all  depart- 
ments of  the  Sunday  school,  asking  them  to  assist  in  the 
new  movement  by  reporting  to  the  superintendent  the 
names  of  any  babies  eligible  for  membership. 

The  Home  Department  and  Organized  Adult  Bible  Class 
Department,  as  well  as  the  Elementary  Department,  will 
be  able  to  render  eflScient  help  in  the  work.  The  children 
of  the  Primary  Department  will  be  found  more  than  will- 

160 


THE  ELEMENTARY  DIVISION 

ing  to  aid  in  giving  information  as  to  the  whereabouts  of 
babies  they  know. 

3.  When  the  list  of  names  is  secured  by  the  superin- 
tendent she  should  send  or  take  the  application  card  to 
each  home.  When  the  questions  on  this  card  have  been 
answered,  then  a  Certificate  of  Membership  should  be 
made  out  for  the  child  and  the  little  one  should  be  enrolled 
as  a  member  of  the  Sunday  school. 

4.  After  the  Certificate  of  Membership  is  made  out, 
write  the  name  of  the  baby  on  the  Cradel  Roll  in  the 
Sunday  school  and  in  your  record  book.  In  this  book  you 
note  not  only  the  baby's  birthday,  but  the  home  address, 
the  names  of  the  parents,  and  any  other  desirable  informa- 
tion. 

Developing. — It  is  not  difiicult  to  organize  the  Cradle- 
Roll  work,  but  it  takes  thought  and  prayer  and  work  to 
develop  it  so  that  it  will  be  an  uplifting  power  and  influ- 
ence in  the  lives  of  the  children. 

Prompt  attention  should  be  given  the  mother  and  the 
newborn  baby.  A  brief  but  effective  service  should  be 
arranged  for  receiving  the  new  members.  Mothers'  meet- 
ings should  be  held  regularly  and  carefully  planned. 

Finally,  remember  always  that  the  results  of  the  work 
will  depend  entirely  upon  the  spiritual  power  of  the  work- 
ers. All  must  be  done  under  the  guidance  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  and  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ. 


161 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 
CRADLE  ROLL  STANDARD 

Suggested  by  the  International  Elementary  Committee 
at  the  International  Sunday-School  Convention,  Chicago, 
June,  1914: 

1.  A  Cradle  Roll  superintendent. 

2.  Systematic  effort  to  secure  members  from  birth  to 
three  years. 

3.  Public  record  of  names  and  permanent  card  index 
or  book  record,  including  baby's  name,  address,  birth, 
age,  parents'  names,  promotions,  and  so  forth. 

4.  Prompt  recognition  of  birthdays. 

5.  Suitable  remembrance  in  case  of  sickness  or  death. 

6.  All  removals  and  the  cause  registered. 

7.  Babies  welcomed  as  visitors  whenever  present. 

8.  A  Cradle  Roll  Day  annually. 

9.  An  occasional  social  affair  for  mothers  and  babies. 

10.  Mothers  and  babies  invited  on  special  days. 

11.  Babies  and  mothers  visited  in  their  homes. 

12.  Mothers  helped  in  the  baby's  care  and  training 
by  literature  or  mothers'  meetings. 

13.  Cradle-Roll  members  publicly  promoted  and  enroll- 
ment secured  in  the  Beginners  Class  or  Department. 

14.  A  Cradle  Roll  Class  in  the  Beginners  Department 
if  the  children  attend  before  formal  promotion. 

15.  No  child  may  continue  as  a  Cradle-Roll  member 
after  the  fourth  birthday.  Transfer  should  be  made  to 
the  supervision  of  the  Beginners  superintendent  or  class. 


162 


Ill 

THE  BEGINNERS  DEPARTMENT 

The  Beginners  Department  provides  Christian  educa- 
tion for  the  four-  and  five-year-old  children  who  attend 
the  regular  sessions  of  the  school.  When  younger  children 
attend  the  school  they,  too,  are  cared  for  in  this  depart- 
ment. 

Organization. — If  the  number  of  pupils  is  small,  one 
person  can  act  as  superintendent  and  teacher.  If  this 
small  class  is  compelled  to  meet  in  a  screened-off  corner 
of  a  one-room  building,  the  one  person  can  also  act  as 
secretary.  However,  even  in  small  classes,  it  is  well  to 
have  an  assistant  who  can  be  an  understudy  of  the  teacher 
and  who  will  be  able  to  substitute  for  the  teacher  in  case  of 
absence. 

When  the  department  is  larger  more  teachers  will  be 
needed,  and  if  the  pupils  can  meet  in  a  separate  room, 
then  a  superintendent,  assistant  superintendent,  secretary- 
treasurer,  and  pianist  should  be  appointed.  In  such  a 
department  it  is  wise  to  plan  for  a  class  of  three-  and  four- 
year-old  children  and  a  class  of  five-year-old  children. 
If  a  number  of  children  under  three  years  of  age  attend, 
they  should  be  placed  in  a  class  by  themselves  with  a 
teacher,  who  will  provide  simple  stories,  good  pictures, 
and  interesting  games  or  exercises  for  them. 

Equipment. — The  ideal  place  is  a  separate  room,  but  in 
many  schools  the  separate  room  is  not  possible  and  the 

163 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

Beginners  are  obliged  to  have  their  opening  and  closing 
services  with  the  primary  children.  After  the  opening 
service,  the  class  can  be  divided  and  the  Beginners  can 
have  their  own  little  room  made  by  a  screen  or  curtain, 
shutting  them  off  from  the  older  pupils.  Sometimes  there 
is  not  even  a  separate  room  for  the  Primary  Department; 
the  children  have  only  a  screened-  or  curtained-oft'  corner. 
In  this  case  it  is  suggested  that  another  corner  in  the  main 
room  be  screened  or  curtained  off  for  the  Beginners. 

In  this  separate  room  or  corner  there  should  be  the 
following  equipment,  in  order  to  secure  the  best  results: 
comfortable  chairs,  a  table  or  cabinet  for  the  superin- 
tendent, growing  flowers,  a  few  good  pictures  hung  low 
on  the  well-tinted  walls,  a  rug  or  linoleum  on  the  floor,  a 
musical  instrument  (piano  preferred),  a  blackboard,  hooks 
for  wraps,  a  birthday  bank  and  offering  baskets,  low  tables 
on  which  the  children  may  do  handwork,  a  Bible  for  the 
superintendent's  use,  handwork  supplies  for  the  children. 
Other  things  may  be  added  as  necessity  arises. 

In  a  screened  corner  a  piano  cannot  be  used,  and  the 
low  tables  can  be  replaced  by  heavy  pieces  of  cardboard 
8  X  10  inches  for  each  pupil.  These  may  be  used  as  lap- 
boards. 

The  Program. — Whether  the  children  meet  in  a  separate 
room,  or  in  the  main  room  with  all  the  other  pupils,  it  is 
necessary  to  prepare  a  program.  Some  such  order  as  this 
is  suggested: 

Greeting  Service,  Praise  and  Prayer  Service,  Offering 
Service,  Welcome  to  New  Pupils  and  Visitors,  Cradle 
Roll  Service,  Birthday  Offering,  Circle  Talk,  Rest  Exer- 
cise, Lesson  Story,  Handwork,  Closing  Prayer,  or  Good- 

164 


THE  ELEMENTARY  DIVISION 

by  Song.  In  this  way  the  program  will  provide  op- 
portunity for  worship,  fellowship,  instruction,  and  ex- 
pression. 

The  Lessons. — Because  the  little  child  needs  foundation 
truths  which  bear  certain  relations  to  his  experiences,  a 
special  course  of  lessons  has  been  prepared  by  the  Inter- 
national Lesson  Committee.  This  course  is  outlined  for 
two  years,  for  four-  and  five-year-old  children  and  is  ar- 
ranged by  themes,  one  lesson  creating  a  need  and  paving 
the  way  for  the  next  lesson.  Sometimes  several  lessons 
are  outlined  under  one  theme  and  one  golden  text  is  made 
to  answer  for  an  entire  group  of  lessons.  The  lessons  are 
known  as  the  International  Graded  Beginners  Lessons  and 
are  the  best  lessons  for  the  Beginners. 

For  the  children  three  years  of  age  and  under  it  is 
suggested  that  the  teachers  use  the  lessons  in  Miss  Marion 
Thomas'  book,  ' 'Supplemental  Lessons  for  the  Beginners 
Department"  (price,  25  cents).  Supplemental  lessons  as 
understood  in  the  other  departments  of  the  Sunday  school 
— that  is,  in  the  sense  of  memory  work,  have  no  place  in 
this  department.  There  are,  however,  certain  Bible  texts, 
prayers,  and  hymns  used  in  connection  with  the  lessons 
taught,  which  the  children  should  learn  during  their  stay 
in  this  department.  Handwork  in  this  department  should 
be  chiefly  drawing,  and  the  mounting  of  pictures,  shown  to 
illustrate  the  truths  in  the  lessons;  although  the  child 
may  cut,  fold,  and  construct  to  some  extent.  It  should 
be  remembered  that  the  purpose  of  this  work  is  not  to 
amuse  the  child,  but  to  secure  a  deeper  impression  of  the 
spiritual  truth  which  has  been  brought  to  him  in  the 
lesson  story. 

165 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

Promotion. — A  regular  annual  promotion  should  be 
planned.  No  definite  memory  work  should  be  required, 
but  memory  work  should  be  encouraged.  The  basis  of 
promotion  should  depend  upon  the  development  of  the 
child.  Those  of  public-school  age  are  usually  promoted. 
For  the  promotion  service  choose  material  used  in  the 
Graded  Lessons.  Select  what  is  well  known.  Selections 
for  promotion  may  include  some  of  the  following:  Bible 
verse  and  song  about  God's  love,  Bible  verse  and  song 
about  God's  care,  a  praise  verse  and  song,  athank-you  verse 
and  song,  verse  and  song  about  giving,  Jesus'  invitation  to 
children,  simple  Easter  song,  simple  Christmas  song,  simple 
morning  prayer,  simple  evening  prayer,  simple  grace  be- 
fore meals. 

Expressional  Work. — The  children  must  be  provided 
with  opportunities  to  express  their  feelings  of  love  and 
faith  in  God.  This  they  may  do  in  singing  and  praying. 
The  songs  taught  them  should  be  explained  and  developed 
and  they  should  be  such  as  will  truly  express  a  little  child's 
emotions.  The  children  can  learn  to  pray  by  repeating 
brief  beautiful  prayers  after  the  teachers.  Opportunity 
must  also  be  given  for  the  children  to  render  service  to 
the  people  in  the  home  circle,  to  friends,  and  to  pets. 


BEGINNERS  STANDARD 

(Suggested  at  International  Convention,  Chicago,  1914.) 

1.  Beginners   Department  (or  Class):    children  three, 
four  and  five. 

2.  Separate  room  or  separation  by  curtains  or  screens. 

3.  Blackboard,  pictures,  objects,  and  so  forth. 

166 


THE  ELEMENTARY  DIVISION 

4.  Graded  Lessons  used. 

5.  Correlated  Missionary  instruction. 

6.  Correlated  Temperance  instruction. 

7.  Regular  annual  promotion  day. 

8.  Each  teacher  a  graduate  or  student  of  a  training 
course,  or  taking  specialized  training  through  a  Graded 
Union,  City  Training  School,  School  of  Methods,  or  the 
reading  of  one  specialization  book  a  year. 


167 


IV 

THE  PRIMARY  DEPARTMENT 

This  department  provides  Christian  education  for  six-, 
seven-  and  eight-year-old  children. 

Organization. — If  the  number  of  children  is  small  and 
the  equipment  meager,  one  person  may  act  as  superin- 
tendent and  teacher,  although  it  is  wise  under  any  cir- 
cumstances to  have  an  assistant.  If  the  number  of  chil- 
dren is  large  and  the  equipment  good,  there  should  be  a 
teacher  for  each  six  or  eight  children,  as  well  as  a  super- 
intendent in  charge  of  the  department.  There  should  also 
be  a  secretary  and  a  pianist,  if  there  is  a  separate  apart- 
ment in  which  to  meet.  To  care  in  the  best  way  for  the 
six-,  seven-  and  eight-year-old  children,  who  each  year 
show  such  rapid  development,  the  department  should  be 
divided  into  three  grades,  according  to  age. 

Equipment. — If  it  is  not  possible  to  have  a  room  entirely 
separate,  provide  the  best  substitute.  The  vestibule  may 
be  used,  or  a  room  in  a  neighboring  house  may  be  secured. 
But  perhaps  the  best  substitute  is  the  curtained  or  screened 
corner.  Some  schools  with  limited  space  find  it  practicable 
to  have  the  primary  children  meet  at  one  hour  and  the 
other  departments  at  another  hour. 

Small  chairs  furnish  the  best  seats  for  the  children. 
When  one  must  use  the  old-fashioned  benches,  have  a  few 
inches  cut  from  the  legs  or  provide  long  footstools.    The 

168 


THE  ELEMENTARY  DIVISION 

floors  may  be  covered  with  matting  or  carpet  and  the 
walls  and  ceiling  tinted  or  papered.  A  musical  instru- 
ment is  desirable,  though  not  absolutely  necessary.  A  table 
with  drawers  is  needed  for  the  superintendent  and  a  cab- 
inet is  desirable  for  holding  books,  objects,  offering  en- 
velopes, record  cards  or  books,  papers,  chalk,  pictures, 
paste,  pencils,  scissors,  and  so  forth.  A  row  of  hooks  is 
necessary  for  the  children's  wraps.  Folding  tables, 
eighteen  or  twenty  inches  high,  around  which  the  classes 
may  sit  while  the  lesson  is  being  taught,  are  a  great  con- 
venience. A  blackboard  of  some  kind  is  necessary.  There 
should  also  be  a  birthday  bank  and  a  receptacle  of  some 
kind  for  the  offering.  It  is  well  to  have  a  blooming  plant 
or  a  bouquet  of  flowers.  A  sand  table  for  pictorial  illus- 
tration will  be  found  helpful  for  occasional  use. 

The  Program. — The  department  should  meet  in  a 
separate  room  where  a  program  at  least  an  hour  long  can 
be  planned  for  and  conducted.  The  program  must  in- 
clude opportunity  for  worship,  fellowship,  instruction,  and 
training.  All  of  these  will  be  arranged  for  by  the  use  of 
Scripture  passages,  songs,  prayers,  lessons,  handwork. 
Here  is  the  outline  of  a  program: 

I.  Opening  Service  of  Worship. 

1.  Quiet  music. 

2.  Exchange  of  greetings. 

3.  Prayer  for  God's  blessing. 

4.  Recitation  of  Scripture  responses. 

5.  Brief  chant. 

6.  Prayer. 

7.  Song. 

169 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

II.  Fellowship. 

1.  Welcome  to  new  pupils. 

2.  Prayer  for  Cradle-Roll  babies. 

3.  Offering  service. 

4.  Birthday  service. 

5.  Missionary  or  Temperance  service. 

III.  Instruction. 

1.  Review  last  Sunday's  lesson. 

2.  Note  handwork  done  at  home. 

3.  Teach  new  lessons. 

IV.  Closing  Service. 

1.  Song. 

2.  Repetition  of  memory  verses. 

3.  Closing  prayer. 

4.  Good-by  song. 

The  business  items,  such  as  keeping  record  of  attendance, 
handwork  done,  memory  verses  committed,  should  be 
noted  by  the  class  teachers. 

Promotions. — The  regular  annual  promotion  should  be 
held  the  last  Sunday  in  September.  Promote  all  pupils 
of  proper  age,  but  give  a  certificate  only  to  those  who  have 
done  the  following  required  work: 

The  Lord's  Prayer;  the  Golden  Rule;  the  Twenty-third 
Psalm;  the  Two  Great  Commandments;  group  texts  on 
giving,  praise,  and  prayer;  and  verses  about  God's  house, 
God's  day,  and  God's  Book. 

In  addition,  every  child  should  know  a  suitable  morning 
and  evening  prayer  and  a  grace  to  use  at  table,  also  the 
following  passages  of  Scripture  and  hymns: 

170 


THE  ELEMENTARY  DIVISION 

A  Christmas  song  and  story  (Luke  2  : 8-10) ;  an  Easter 
song  and  story  (Mark  16  : 1-8  or  Matthew  28  :l-8); 
Missionary  verses  and  song;  a  Temperance  motto  and 
song;  the  song,  "Sweet  Story  of  Old";  one  stanza  of 
"America";  and  miscellaneous  hymns  and  songs. 

(Grade  teachers  will  know  which  parts  of  the  above 
belong  to  each  year,  and  will  plan  accordingly  for  the 
promotion  service.) 

Expressional  Work. — The  primary  child  must  have 
opportunity  to  express  the  great  fundamental  truths 
taught  him.  His  world  consists  of  the  home,  the  school, 
and  the  Sunday  school,  with  the  people  therein.  He  must 
be  taught  to  love  and  serve  others,  to  bear  his  share  of 
responsibility,  to  be  kind,  helpful,  and  obedient  to  all  who 
come  in  contact  with  him  in  these  places.  The  Sunday- 
school  teacher  can  do  much  to  help  the  child  by  right  sug- 
gestion and  direction. 

PRIMARY  STANDARD 

(Suggested  at  International  Convention,  Chicago,  1914.) 

1.  Primary  Department  (or  Class)  children  seven, 
eight  and  nine. 

2.  Separate  room  or  separation  by  curtains  or  screens. 

3.  Blackboard,  pictures,  objects,  and  so  forth. 

4.  Graded  Lessons  (or  Supplemental  Lessons  with  the 
Uniform  Lessons). 

5.  Correlated  Missionary  instruction. 

6.  Correlated  Temperance  instruction. 

7.  Regular  annual  promotion  day. 

8.  Each  teacher  a  graduate  or  student  of  a  training 
course,  or  taking  specialized  training  through  a  Graded 
Union,  City  Training  School,  School  of  Methods,  or  the 
reading  of  one  specialization  book  a  year. 

171 


V 

THE  JUNIOR  DEPARTMENT 

In  this  department  is  provided  Christian  education  for 
boys  and  girls  nine,  ten,  eleven  and  twelve  years  of  age. 

Aim  of  the  Work. — To  help  the  boys  and  girls  become 
familiar  with  the  Bible;  to  teach  them  how  to  handle  it; 
to  have  them  memorize  many  portions  of  it;  to  lead  them 
to  love  Christ  and  to  give  themselves  to  his  service. 

Organization. — If  there  is  a  separate  apartment,  it  will 
be  found  wise  to  have  a  superintendent,  assistant  superin- 
tendent, secretary-treasurer,  pianist,  and  enough  teachers 
to  form  a  class  for  each  group  of  six  or  eight  pupils.  If 
the  members  of  the  department  must  meet  in  the  main 
room,  the  junior  superintendent  can  also  act  as  secretary 
and  treasurer.  The  superintendent  is  responsible  for  all 
the  work  of  the  department;  plans  and  carries  out  the 
weekly  program,  and  arranges  for  teachers'  and  parents' 
meetings.  The  assistant  superintendent  classifies  all  the 
pupils;  arranges  for  substitute  teachers;  visits  the  homes 
of  the  pupils;  and  substitutes  for  the  superintendent  when 
that  officer  is  not  present.  The  secretary  is  responsible 
for  the  keeping  of  a  correct  list  of  the  names  of  the  pupils, 
their  home  addresses,  and  their  birthdays;  for  a  correct 
count  of  class  credits,  and  for  accurate  reports  to  the  su- 
perintendent of  the  school. 

Some  of  the  older  junior  classes  are  very  simply  organ- 
ized.    The  officers  required  are  a  president,  who  is  respon- 

172 


THE  ELEMENTARY  DIVISION 

sible  for  the  standing  of  the  class  according  to  behavior 
and  the  number  of  class  credits  (given  for  attendance, 
daily  Bible  reading,  church  attendance,  and  handwork); 
a  secretary,  who  marks  the  attendance  and  looks  up  ab- 
sentees; and  a  treasurer,  who  records  the  offering  of  each 
member  and  gives  the  whole  amount  to  the  treasurer  of 
the  department. 

Equipment. — The  complete  equipment  which  is  desir- 
able is  not  possible,  perhaps,  in  many  schools,  but  is  given 
here  because  any  school  can  work  toward  the  ideal.  A 
separate  apartment  which  is  well  lighted  and  well  venti- 
lated; comfortable  chairs;  a  table  for  each  class;  a  box  for 
each  class  in  which  to  keep  the  class  record  book,  the  book 
recording  the  memory  work  for  each  pupil,  the  offering 
envelope,  paper,  pencils,  and  notebooks;  a  piano;  a  desk 
or  table  for  the  superintendent;  a  cabinet  for  department 
supplies;  pictures  for  the  walls;  an  honor  roll  showing  the 
names  of  those  who  have  done  the  work  of  the  depart- 
ment; a  wall  temperance  pledge;  charts  for  teaching  the 
books  of  the  Bible;  necessary  maps;  a  blackboard;  models 
of  oriental  house,  sheepfold,  tabernacle,  temple,  and  so 
forth;  a  sand  table;  song  roll;  textbooks  for  teachers  and 
pupils.  If  it  is  not  possible  to  have  a  separate  room,  use 
screens  to  separate  the  class.  Each  teacher  and  pupil 
should  have  his  or  her  own  Bible. 

The  Program. — The  program  is  one  of  the  most  impor- 
tant phases  of  the  junior  work,  because  through  it  the 
memory  may  be  stored  with  Scripture  and  the  best  church 
hymns,  while  habits  of  reverence,  punctuality,  prompt  and 
cheerful  obedience,  and  hearty  cooperation  are  fixed. 

173 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

The  superintendent  should  carefully  prepare  a  written 
program  for  each  Sunday  and  a  copy  should  be  given  the 
pianist. 

The  responsive  Scripture  reading  and  a  church  hymn 
should  be  sung  from  memory.  There  should  be  places 
provided  for  offering,  fellowship,  and  prayer  services;  for 
a  Bible  drill;  and  for  the  singing  of  one  or  more  good  songs. 
Here  is  a  suggested  program: 

Quiet  music;  Responsive  Reading;  Hymn;  Prayer  Ser- 
vice; Fellowship  Service  (including  birthday  recognition, 
welcome  to  new  pupils,  and  prayer  for  absentees);  the 
Offering  Service;  the  Lesson  Story  (before  the  new  lesson 
is  taught  the  handwork  should  be  examined  and  the  previ- 
ous lesson  reviewed);  Notices,  Closing  Prayer,  and  Song. 

Where  there  is  no  separate  room,  a  program  of  the  above 
type  cannot  be  used.  Yet  in  order  to  get  just  as  much  as 
possible  into  the  lesson  period  of  thirty  or  forty  minutes 
the  superintendent  should  plan  the  program  for  that  time 
most  carefully,  never  using  more  than  twenty  minutes  for 
teaching  the  lesson  of  the  day. 

Promotion  Requirements. — ^The  best  time  for  the 
annual  promotion  is  the  last  Sunday  in  September.  Pro- 
mote all  pupils,  but  give  a  certificate  or  diploma  only  to 
those  who  have  done  the  required  work.  This  required 
work  should  include: 

The  ability  to  locate  and  tell  the  Bible  stories  of  the 
junior  course;  the  completion  of  the  graded  work  and 
study  books;  the  memorization  of  the  memory  texts;  the 
names  of  the  books  of  the  Bible;  the  names  of  the  apostles; 
the  Ten  Commandments;  the  Beatitudes;  the  Doxology; 
an  outline  story  of  the  Life  of  Christ;  the  Apostles'  Creed. 

174 


THE  ELEMENTARY  DIVISION 

JUNIOR  STANDARD 
(Suggested  at  International  Convention,  Chicago,  1914.) 

1.  Junior  Department  (or  Class):  children  nine,  ten, 
eleven  and  twelve. 

2.  Separate  room  or  separation  by  curtains  or  screens. 

3.  Blackboard,  pictures,  objects,  and  so  forth. 

4.  Graded  Lessons  (or  Supplemental  with  the  Uniform 
Lessons). 

5.  Correlated  Missionary  instruction. 

6.  Correlated  Temperance  instruction. 

7.  Regular  annual  promotion  day. 

8.  Each  teacher  a  graduate  or  student  of  a  training 
course,  or  taking  specialized  training  through  a  Graded 
Union,  City  Training  School,  School  of  Methods,  or  the 
reading  of  one  specialization  book  a  year. 


176 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 


VII 
THE  SECONDARY  DIVISION 

BY 

E.   MORRIS  FERGUSSON.  D.D. 


177 


THE  SECONDARY  DIVISION 


THE  "TEEN-AGE''  PROBLEM 

Standard  Limits.— The  Secondary  Division  of  the 
Sunday  school  comprises  the  pupils,  with  their  officers 
and  teachers,  whose  ages  range  from  thirteen  to  twenty 
inclusive.  As  in  all  divisions  of  the  Sunday  school  ac- 
cording to  age,  these  figures  refer  to  the  average  or  typical 
pupil.  The  eight  years  thus  covered  are  further  divided 
into  the  four  years  of  the  Intermediate  Department,  thir- 
teen to  sixteen,  and  the  four  years  of  the  Senior  Depart- 
ment, seventeen  to  twenty.  This  classification  and  nomen- 
clature has  been  standard  in  the  work  of  the  International 
Sunday  School  Association  since  its  adoption  by  the 
Committee  on  Education  in  1904.  The  issue  by  the 
Lesson  Committee,  beginning  in  1910,  of  its  intermediate 
and  senior  graded  lesson  outlines  based  on  these  ages  has 
further  fixed  and  popularized  the  scheme. 

The  psychological  basis  for  the  division  between  the 
elementary  and  the  secondary  divisions  is,  of  course,  the 
passing  by  the  pupil  across  the  threshold  of  adolescence — 
the  deepest  and  most  significant  change,  both  physical 
and  spiritual,  in  his  whole  progress  from  infancy  to  matur- 
ity. The  closing  of  the  senior  period  at  twenty-one  corre- 
sponds with  the  civil  distinction  between  minors  and  adults. 
The  age  of  sixteen  generally  marks  the  close  of  the  difficult 
period  of  early  adolescence.  There  is,  therefore,  a  reason- 
able basis  for  these  Sunday-school  lines  of  division. 

179 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

A  Better  Arrangement. — Closer  study  and  comparison, 
however,  together  with  a  large  increase  of  experience  with 
graded  work  in  the  upper  grades  of  the  Sunday  school,  has 
convinced  many  leaders  of  the  need  of  a  revision  of  this 
standard  classification.  The  present  tendency  in  general 
education  and  in  work  for  boys  is  to  make  twelve  the  age 
for  beginning  work  with  the  early  adolescent  group,  and  to 
continue  such  work  for  a  six-year  period,  thus  throwing  to- 
gether the  pupils  whose  ages  range  from  twelve  or  thirteen 
to  seventeen  or  eighteen.  This  includes  the  two  groups  of 
early  and  middle  adolescence,  which  may  be  represented 
by  two  three-year  periods,  twelve  to  fourteen  and  fifteen 
to  seventeen.  Beyond  seventeen  or  eighteen  lies  the  period 
of  later  adolescence,  represented  in  education  by  the  college 
and  professional  school — the  six  years  from  about  eighteen 
to  twenty-three  or  twenty-four.  There  is  nothing  new 
about  this  grouping  except  the  new  recognition  of  its  ap- 
plicability to  high-school  and  Sunday-school  organization. 

In  these  chapters  the  standard  division  as  first  stated  is 
followed,  since  that  is  the  division  now  in  use.  It  would 
be  well,  nevertheless,  for  all  secondary  workers  to  study 
this  problem  on  their  own  fields,  noting  which  of  the 
two  plans  of  division  seems  to  come  nearer  to  the  actual 
wants  of  their  pupils.  A  church  reorganizing  its  educa- 
tional work,  or  erecting  a  building  which  will  house  and 
shape  it  for  the  next  generation,  should  take  counsel  of  its 
friends  as  to  which  of  the  two  schemes  is  more  likely  to  be 
the  standard  ten  years  hence,  and  draft  its  plans  accord- 
ingly. 

Working  on  the  Problem. — Not  only  in  the  matter  of 
age  limits,  but  in  every  other  respect  the  work  for  pupils  of 

180 


THE  SECONDARY  DIVISION 

the  so-called  "teen-age"  is  a  problem.  The  idea  that  in 
some  leaflet,  book,  lesson  course  or  project  we  shall  find  a 
happy  and  complete  solution  of  our  difiiculties  with  the 
older  boys  and  girls  must  be  sadly  put  away.  No  one 
knows  exactly  how  this  great  work  ought  to  be  done. 

The  uniform  Bible  lesson,  shared  by  all  ages  and  taught 
from  a  quarterly  by  a  teacher  who  has  grown  up  with  the 
class,  and  whose  unorganized  pupils  look  forward  to  no 
completion  or  consummation  of  their  study  course,  is  the 
solution  which  was  offered  by  the  Sunday-school  wisdom 
of  the  last  generation,  and  which  is  still  relied  on  in  the 
majority  of  Sunday  schools  to-day.  Fine  results,  both 
spiritual  and  educational,  have  been  secured  under  this 
plan,  but  only  in  a  small  proportion  of  the  classes;  and 
these  classes  survive  and  so  claim  our  notice  and  admira- 
tion, while  the  lost  classes  are  crossed  off  and  forgotten. 
Even  those  pupils  who  continue  their  attendance  are  likely, 
when  tested  later  by  some  college  professor,  to  reveal  an 
appalling  ignorance  of  what  they  were  supposed  to  have 
been  studying.  Conversions,  indeed,  are  often  secured; 
but  the  graces  of  Christian  character  and  the  will  and  skill 
for  Christian  service  seldom  follow  as  a  result  of  work  done 
under  this  plan. 

In  view  of  these  well-known  limitations,  other  solutions 
of  the  secondary  problem  have  been  diligently  sought. 
The  young  people  have  been  organized  for  devotion,  in- 
struction and  expressive  activity  outside  the  Sunday- 
school  hour.  The  societies  thus  formed  have  been  sup- 
plied with  study  courses.  Biblical,  doctrinal,  missionary 
and  social.  Various  forms  of  improved  lesson  material 
have  been  prepared  and  introduced.  The  organizing  and 
registering  of  adult  classes  having  shown  its  power  as  a 

181 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

method  and  a  movement,  the  plan  in  simplified  form  has 
been  introduced  among  the  secondary  classes  as  well. 
Following  the  lead  of  the  boys'  departments  of  the  Young 
Men's  Christian  Association,  some  workers  have  organized 
boys'  departments  in  the  Sunday  school,  embracing  the 
classes  from  twelve  to  eighteen,  with  a  corresponding 
department  for  the  girls.  Uncounted  forms  of  club,  society 
and  guild  work  have  been  started  to  supply  missing  ele- 
ments in  the  religious  education  of  these  pupils,  or  to 
line  them  up  in  behalf  of  some  noble  and  worthy  cause. 

Each  of  these  enterprises  represents  an  effort  to  solve 
the  secondary  problem.  Each  is  to  be  counted  as  a  step 
in  the  process,  never  as  a  final  solution.  In  judging 
the  merits  of  any  one  of  these  plans,  however,  we  must 
compare  it  not  with  ideal  and  imaginary  success,  but  with 
that  measure  of  success  which  has  been  heretofore  attained, 
for  all  the  boys  and  girls  of  the  congregation  and  the  field, 
by  the  standard  methods  which  the  new  enterprise  aims 
to  improve  upon. 

Aims  and  Methods. — The  most  obvious  and  pressing 
need  in  the  secondary  work  of  most  Sunday  schools  is  for 
a  plan  that  will  hold  the  pupils,  especially  the  boys,  to 
continued  attendance.  This  secured,  the  conversion  of 
all  and  their  engagement  in  Christian  fellowship  and  ser- 
vice is  next  to  be  sought.  The  social  bond  of  the  class 
must  be  strengthened  as  a  means  for  holding  attendance, 
making  the  class  a  working  unit  of  the  school  apart  from 
the  drawing  power  of  a  particular  teacher,  and  opening 
the  way  for  activities  in  and  beyond  the  Sunday-school 
session,  through  which  the  whole  life  of  the  pupils  may  be 
reached  and  trained.    The  lessons  taught  must  next  be 

182 


THE  SECONDARY  DIVISION 

considered,  so  that  the  results  of  the  school's  instruction 
shall  become  a  working  part  of  the  pupil's  intellectual 
equipment.  The  church  and  Sunday  school,  with  an  eye 
to  their  interest  in  the  future  services  of  these  young  Chris- 
tians, must  so  plan  this  course  of  instruction  as  to  make  it 
tend  definitely  in  the  direction  of  Christian  efficiency,  and, 
in  the  later  years,  specialization  for  particular  tasks. 
And  back  of  all  these  lies  the  hidden  ideal  and  life-purpose 
which  the  pupil  is  silently*  forming,  the  plan  and  specifica- 
tions on  which,  with  ever  clearer  determination,  he  intends 
to  build  his  career.  Above  all  else,  especially  in  the  earlier 
secondary  years,  must  our  plan  provide  ample  and  worthy 
material  for  the  construction  of  the  pupil's  "castles  in  the 
air." 

A  church  of  usual  city  size  will  do  well  to  provide  as 
leader  in  the  great  work  of  meeting  these  needs  and  reach- 
ing these  aims  a  superintendent  of  work  for  the  secondary 
division.  This  office,  however,  can  also  be  made  part  of 
the  work  of  a  general  director  of  education;  or  it  can  be 
divided  between  a  leader  of  boys  and  a  leader  of  girls,  or 
left  in  the  hands  of  the  Intermediate  and  Senior  depart- 
ment superintendents.  The  wise  worker  will  beware  of 
advice  that  insists  on  the  importance  of  any  particular 
method  or  form  of  organization.  Sympathy  and  love  for 
these  young  explorers  of  life's  mystery;  determination 
with  all  patience  and  self-forgetfulness  to  stand  by  their 
side,  comprehend  their  difficulties  and  win  their  hearts; 
faith  that  Christ's,  love  and  Bible  teaching  will  overcome 
sin  and  folly  and  bring  them  through;  and  a  discriminating 
readiness  to  bring  forth  and  use,  from  the  treasury  of 
modern  methods  and  devices,  things  new  and  old — these 
are  the  essentials  in  the  work  of  the  secondary  division. 

183 


II 

THE  INTERMEDIATE  DEPARTMENT 

Place  and  Organization. — The  Intermediate  Depart- 
ment, as  at  present  standardized,  includes  the  pupils  from 
thirteen  to  sixteen  years  of  age.  In  a  graded  Sunday 
school  it  represents  the  four  yearly  grades  which  follow 
the  four  years  (nine  to  twelve)  of  the  Junior  Department. 
It  thus  corresponds  to  the  eighth  grade  of  the  public  school 
and  the  first  three  years  of  the  high  school.  Where  the 
Junior  Department  meets  in  a  separate  room,  the  Inter- 
mediate Department  will  comprise  the  younger  portion  of 
the  main  Sunday-school  room,  and  will  ordinarily  need  no 
other  housing,  especially  if  the  senior  classes  have  separ- 
able classrooms. 

The  ordinary  grouping  of  intermediate  pupils  into  classes 
of  six  or  eight  is  educationally  sound,  as  the  personal  prob- 
lems presented  to  untrained  teachers  by  this  age  are  too 
complex  to  be  handled  successfully  in  larger  classes.  For 
the  same  reason,  the  teachers  of  these  classes  must  be 
provided  with  educational  support,  drawn  together  as  a 
faculty,  and  led  to  cast  in  their  lot  with  the  department  at 
promotion  time.  Only  through  leadership,  division  of 
labor,  and  the  conservation  of  teaching  experience  is  there 
any  hope  of  solving  the  intermediate  problem. 

Where  the  Sunday  school  is  small,  the  director  of  in- 
struction, or  the  pastor  or  superintendent  acting  in  that 
capacity,  may  be  able  to  give  to  the  intermediate  classes 
all  the  department  leadership  they  need.  It  is  better, 
however,  even  with  only  three  or  four  intermediate  classes, 

184 


THE  SECONDARY  DIVISION 

to  have  a  separate  superintendent  of  the  department,  with 
no  class  of  his  own  to  teach.  Knowing  all  the  classes  and 
what  is  being  taught  in  each,  he  is  in  a  position  to  take 
the  place  of  any  absent  teacher,  where  a  substitute  has 
not  been  secured  and  prepared  in  advance.  Not  having 
a  separate  room,  he  will  of  course  have  no  program  to 
conduct,  except  as  may  be  arranged  between  him  and  the 
superintendent.  This  will  give  him  more  time  to  study 
the  problems  presented  by  the  several  classes,  to  follow 
up  the  lesson  work  in  each,  to  labor  for  regularity  and  in- 
crease of  attendance,  class  organization  and  spiritual  re- 
sults, and  to  prepare  the  graduating  pupils  for  promotion. 
It  will  be  his  duty,  also,  to  hold  regular  or  occasional  meet- 
ings of  the  department,  as  indicated  below,  and  to  organize 
the  department  faculty  for  cooperative  study  and  special- 
ized assignments. 

Grades. — Even  with  the  use  of  the  Uniform  Lessons,  it 
is  needful  to  make  a  distinction  between  the  four  yearly 
grades  represented  in  the  department,  if  the  work  of  these 
years  is  to  hold  the  pupils  and  register  progress.  Where 
the  whole  school  numbers  as  many  as  one  hundred  and 
fifty,  it  is  generally  possible  to  deal  with  each  class  as  a 
grade,  even  if  two  or  even  three  ages  or  public-school 
grades  are  represented  in  the  class  membership.  The  aim, 
of  course,  should  be  to  have  each  class  strictly  of  one  grade, 
and  to  transfer  individuals  from  time  to  time  where  such 
transfers  will  improve  the  grading. 

In  a  small  school,  however,  each  class  can  thus  be  held 
together  only  at  the  expense  of  the  permanent  misgrading 
of  most  of  its  members.  The  lessons  presented  will  always 
be  a  little  above  the  capacity  of  the  younger  members  and 

185 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

a  little  below  that  of  the  older  members,  even  if  just  right 
for  those  lying  between.  It  will  also,  in  such  a  school,  be 
found  quite  difficult  in  practice  to  sever  the  teacher  from 
the  class  at  the  end  of  the  department  period.  The 
remedy  is  to  have  classes  fixed  as  to  age  and  transient  as  to 
members.  Let  each  class  stand  for  the  whole  or  a  part  of 
the  departmental  age  limit;  let  the  membership  change  on 
each  annual  Promotion  Day,  one  or  more  pupils  being 
received  from  the  department  or  class  below,  while  others, 
having  reached  the  age  limit,  are  promoted  to  the  depart- 
ment above.  Once  this  plan  is  understood  and  established, 
pupils,  teachers,  and  parents  learn  to  conform  to  it,  fric- 
tion subsides,  and  its  educational  advantages  speedily 
make  it  popular.  By  this  plan  it  is  possible  to  present  for 
every  pupil  the  entire  series  of  graded  lessons,  including  the 
intermediate  lessons,  with  only  a  single  class  in  each  de- 
partment. 

A  graded  roll  of  the  pupils  should  be  kept,  either  by  the 
department  superintendent  or  the  school's  director  of 
instruction,  showing  to  which  grade  each  pupil  properly 
belongs.  If  the  school  is  following  graded  lessons,  this 
roll  will  also  indicate  which  year's  course  the  pupil  is  now 
receiving.  The  special  value  of  this  roll  will  appear  as  the 
annual  season  for  promotion  approaches.  By  stimulating 
the  pupil's  ambition  to  finish  in  good  form  his  intermediate 
work,  we  not  only  prepare  for  the  work  beyond,  but  we 
make  it  seem  to  him  reasonable  and  necessary  to  leave  his 
former  teacher  and  join  a  higher  class. 

Lessons. — Every  Intermediate  Department  must  work 
out  its  own  lesson  problem.  Whether  the  intermediate 
graded  courses  are  right  for  a  particular  school  at  a  certain 

186 


THE  SECONDARY  DIVISION 

time  depends  on  conditions  which  only  the  school  itself 
is  in  a  position  to  know.  The  controlling  educational  force 
at  this  stage  of  life  is  the  personality  of  the  teacher.  A 
strong  teacher  using  lessons  educationally  weak  can  do  far 
more  than  a  weak  teacher  using  lessons  educationally 
strong.  Whether  or  not  the  intermediate  pupils,  or  any 
of  them,  have  had  the  advantage  of  one  or  more  years  of 
graded  junior  Bible  study  must  also  be  considered.  The 
current  graded  lesson  plans  for  the  first  and  second  inter- 
mediate years  call  for  rapid  and  extensive  surveys  of 
biographical  Bible  material.  Where  the  narratives  un- 
derlying this  study  are  already  familiar,  the  intermedi- 
ate lesson  work  inspires,  arouses  discussion,  stimulates  to 
home  lesson  preparation,  and,  when  wisely  led  by  the 
teacher,  secures  the  spiritual  results  aimed  for.  Other- 
wise, the  labor  entailed  in  handling  a  mass  of  unfamiliar 
facts  dispels  interest  and  discourages  both  class  and 
teacher.  Wherever  junior  and  intermediate  graded  lessons 
are  introduced  together,  the  intermediate  teachers  must 
realize  that  the  first  year  of  their  work  will  have  difficulties 
of  its  own,  and  the  church  must  have  patience  until  the 
transition  years  have  been  safely  passed. 

The  four  years  of  graded  intermediate  work,  as  out- 
lined by  the  International  Lesson  Committee,  constitute  a 
course  which  is  best  taught  in  closely  graded  form,  each 
year's  work  being  represented  by  at  least  one  class  of  boys 
and  girls,  or  two  or  more  classes  divided  as  to  sex.  The 
lessons  are  thus  received  by  each  successive  grade  of 
pupils  in  their  logical  order  and  pedagogical  adaptation. 
In  general,  the  contents  of  the  courses  are :  first  year,  bio- 
graphical studies  from  the  Old  Testament;  second  year, 
biographical  studies  from  the  New  Testament;  third  year, 

187 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

an  extended  study  of  the  life  of  Jesus  Christ;  fourth  year, 
studies  in  Christian  Uving.  The  illustrative  biographies 
from  modern  missions  and  from  other  than  Bible  ages  are 
introduced  in  the  form  of  separate  lessons,  following  the 
lessons  in  each  of  the  first  three  years.  As  modified  for 
use  in  the  Presbyterian  Church,  these  modern  lessons 
have  been  materially  reduced  in  number,  made  strictly 
illustrative  to  continuous  Bible  material  and  in  certain 
parts  replaced  by  other  lessons  deemed  more  desirable  for 
study  in  the  Sunday  schools  concerned.  In  schools  where 
the  intermediate  classes  are  few,  or  where  educational 
simplicity  is  desirable,  it  is  possible  to  follow  the  four-year 
intermediate  course  in  a  cycle,  all  classes  taking  the  same 
lesson  at  one  time,  and  each  newly  promoted  class  begin- 
ning work  with  the  year  then  in  hand. 

Activity  and  Service. — Early  adolescence  is  a  time  of 
personal  activity.  The  pupil  is  newly  conscious  of  himself 
as  a  free  agent.  No  educational  plan  that  appeals  to  less 
than  his  whole  self  will  win  his  whole  respect  and  following. 
Beginning  then  with  concrete  lesson  tasks,  such  as  map- 
making,  essays  and  the  defense  of  one  side  in  a  Bible  debate, 
we  must  enlarge  our  leadership  by  organizing  the  class  as  a 
social  force.  A  standard  of  class  organization  has  been 
suggested;  and  classes  so  organized  are  urged  to  report 
themselves  to  their  proper  denominational  or  interdenomi- 
national headquarters,  pay  the  fee  of  twenty-five  cents  and 
receive  a  certificate  of  recognition.  There  is  an  educa- 
tional value  to  the  class  in  thus  joining  the  wider  fellow- 
ship of  organized  service;  but,  of  course,  the  true  value  is 
in  the  will  to  work  together  and  the  taking  up  of  some 
definite  line  of  worthy  service. 

188 


THE  SECONDARY  DIVISION 

In  effecting  intermediate  class  organization  the  teacher 
will  naturally  lead,  suggesting  the  plan,  arranging  the 
terms  of  office  and  presiding  over  the  first  election.  The 
department  superintendent  may  follow  this  up  by  calling 
together  a  council  of  class  presidents,  or  presidents  and 
secretaries,  with  the  class  teachers,  to  consider  the  picnic 
question  or  some  other  issue  in  which  the  pupils'  wishes 
play  an  important  part.  From  this  will  naturally  flow  a 
general  departmental  organization  for  joint  class  activi- 
ties and  for  social  and  religious  expression  outside  the 
Sunday-school  hour.  The  director  of  instruction,  mean- 
while, will  keep  teachers  and  classes  reminded  that  lessons 
come  before  activities,  and  will  guide  the  new  class  spirit 
and  energy  into  lines  of  study  and  home  work.  Superin- 
tendent, pastor  and  church  will  find  tasks  suited  to  the 
limited  powers  and  time  of  these  new  units  of  service,  and 
will  permit  them,  under  suitable  regulation  and  oversight, 
to  make  use  of  the  church  or  chapel  building  as  a  social 
center  for  class  and  department  life. 

Suitable  class  activities  for  intermediates  include  work 
for  the  class  session — having  seats  and  books  ready,  keep- 
ing order,  marking  records  and  offering,  and  conducting 
lesson  study  if  class  is  temporarily  left  alone;  attendance, 
absentee  and  new-member  service;  service  in  the  school 
session  as  doorkeepers,  distributors,  window  monitors, 
choir;  class  service  at  Christmas  and  other  occasions; 
making  or  providing  some  improvement,  apparatus  or  map 
for  the  school's  use;  taking  a  special  missionary  object  of 
giving  and  studying  the  field  and  work  concerned;  choos- 
ing a  hero  and  presenting  essays  or  a  class  life  of  the  hero, 
with  portrait  or  motto  to  be  hung  in  the  school;  serving  as 
a  "good  turn  committee"  (boys)  or  a  "sunshine  band" 

189 


!/■ 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

(girls)  in  acts  of  neighborly  helpfulness  under  adult  lead- 
ing. 

In  addition  to  these  separate  activities  of  the  classes 
the  department  must  frequently  come  together  for  the 
expression  of  its  common  life.  Sometimes  the  boys  will 
go  on  a  ''hike"  with  the  pastor  or  other  leader,  while  the 
girls  meet  to  sing  or  sew  or  to  go  to  the  woods  on  an  ex- 
pedition of  their  own.  Sometimes  the  boys  and  girls  will 
have  a  good  time  together.  To  separate  the  sexes  entirely 
in  their  Sunday-school  and  church  life  is  to  follow  a  false 
ideal. 

Religious  Effort. — The  early  adolescent  finds  it  hard  to 
comprehend  the  distinction  between  sacred  and  secular. 
If  there  is  such  a  thing  as  religion  at  all,  he  feels  it  must 
have  to  do  with  life  as  a  whole.  The  divinely  established 
sanctity  of  God's  day  and  God's  Book,  God's  house  and 
God's  minister  can  be  taught  him;  but  the  spirit  of  youth 
within  him  is  continually  sinning  against  the  regulations 
we  make,  while  on  the  other  hand  his  deeply  religious  in- 
stincts find  God  and  confess  duty  in  whatever  goes  to  make 
up  his  ordinary  life.  Two  consequences  follow.  He  who 
would  be  spiritual  leader  to  these  boys  and  girls  must  first 
become  leader  in  the  life  they  know  and  love;  and  then, 
in  the  midst  of  their  fun  and  frolic,  their  camp  fires  and 
candy  pulls,  he  may  properly  seek  the  fit  time  to  sound  the 
note  of  service  and  duty  and  to  appeal  to  their  desire  to 
serve  God  and  follow  Christ  the  King.  In  a  few  earnest 
words  at  such  a  time,  with  a  prayer  and  a  hymn,  no  healthy 
intermediate  will  see  anything  incongruous. 

Intermediate  years,  as  everyone  now  knows,  are  pre- 
eminently the  years  of  spiritual  decision.     A  loving  and 

190 


THE  SECONDARY  DIVISION 

accepting  attitude  toward  Christ,  with  much  knowledge  of 
his  teachings  and  his  reHgion,  is  part  of  the  aim  and  work 
of  the  Junior  Department  and  its  lessons.  Whether  or  not 
confession  and  church  membership  were  then  secured,  the 
intermediate  teacher  and  leader  must  work  and  watch  to- 
gether for  a  deep  experience  of  personal  sinfulness  and  a 
new  or  renewed  acceptance  of  the  salvation  and  kingship 
over  life  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  A  simple  method  of 
appeal,  successfully  employed  by  the  writer,  is  to  ask  first 
for  a  sign  from  those  who  have  already  confessed  Christ 
and  are  glad  to  renew  their  confession;  then,  after  an  in- 
terval, to  ask  those  who  wish  to  join  these  in  confession  to 
rise  or  come  forward  also.  Watchers  should  note  and 
pastor  and  teachers  carefully  follow  up  all  such  expressions. 


191 


Ill 

THE  SENIOR  DEPARTMENT 

Characteristics. — The  ages  from  seventeen  to  twenty 
inclusive  cover  the  close  of  middle  adolescence,  when  the 
emotions  are  the  controlling  factor  in  life,  and  the  begin- 
ning of  the  six  years  or  so  of  later  adolescence,  the  years 
of  intellectual  adjustment  and  determination.  The  youth 
has  found  himself.  He  is  ardently  social,  with  a  strong 
interest  in  the  opposite  sex.  He  is  beginning  to  look  for- 
ward to  his  work  in  life.  In  many  cases,  especially  in 
industrial  fields,  he  is  already  supporting  himself,  and  is 
correspondingly  independent  and  self-reliant  in  his  church 
relations.  The  older  seniors  are  in  the  age  of  doubt  and 
religious  inquiry :  they  seek  reality,  truth,  worth  whileness 
in  living.  Service  for  others  appeals  to  them,  but  many 
other  interests  compete  with  this  appeal. 

Organization. — The  organizing  of  each  class,  begun  in 
the  Junior  Department  and  extended,  with  denominational 
or  state  recognition,  in  the  Intermediate  Department, 
should  now  be  still  further  extended,  each  class  becoming 
a  well-knit  social  unit,  with  officers,  committees  and  a 
definite  line  of  service  adopted  and  pursued.  The  presi- 
dent of  each  class,  or  the  president  and  secretary,  if  a 
larger  representation  is  desired,  should  be  dealt  with  more 
and  more,  and  admitted  to  a  share  in  the  workers'  con- 
ference of  the  Sunday  school. 

Close  departmental  organization,  essential  for  juniors 

J  92 


THE  SECONDARY  DIVISION 

and  desirable  for  intermediates,  has  no  especial  relation- 
ship to  senior  needs,  and  should  be  considered  simply  as  a 
possibility,  to  be  employed,  especially  in  large  schools,  if 
called  for  in  the  work  of  administration.  What  really 
needs  organizing  is  the  relation  between  these  seniors  and 
the  work  of  the  same  people  and  their  friends  in  the  young 
people's  society  and  elsewhere  in  the  congregation.  The 
work  represented  by  both  Sunday  school  and  young  peo- 
ple's society  is  needed,  and  cannot  all  be  done  by  either 
institution,  even  with  the  organized  classes  doing  their 
best.  Various  solutions  have  been  proposed  for  the 
problem  of  uniting  these  two  vigorous  and  usually  inde- 
pendent lines  of  work.  Any  church  which  succeeds  in 
bringing  together  all  its  young  people  of  senior  age  in  a 
common  service  of  Christian  study  and  teaching,  and  in 
another  service  of  prayer,  fellowship  and  conference,  these 
young  people  being  further  organized  in  congenial  groups 
for  service  and  training,  all  under  a  common  leadership, 
may  consider  itself  on  the  right  track. 

Lessons. — In  the  Senior  Department  it  is  no  longer  pos- 
sible to  divide  classes  by  age,  and  to  assign  to  each  sup- 
posed grade  a  lesson  course  of  its  own.  The  young  people 
have  diverged  to  a  point  where  we  must  regroup  them  for 
study  and  work  according  to  their  individual  needs  and 
choices,  if  we  expect  to  hold  their  attendance  and  win  re- 
sults. All  senior  lesson  courses  and  proposals,  therefore, 
should  be  counted  as  elective,  the  Sunday  school  endeavor- 
ing to  provide  a  regular  plan  of  progressive  study,  but 
making  this  plan  so  flexible  that  each  class  will  actually 
get  the  lessons  which  best  meet  its  needs. 

Instead  of  fixed  grades,  therefore,  with  an  assigned 
193 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

course  for  each,  we  may  now  properly  have  groups  of 
kindred  spirits,  some  large,  some  small;  one  following  the 
Uniform  Lesson,  magnifying  fellowship  and  enthusiasm, 
and  avoiding  insistence  on  lesson  preparation;  while  near 
by,  or  in  another  classroom,  will  be  an  earnest  group  fol- 
lowing a  training  course  or  one  of  the  senior  graded  study 
texts,  with  regular  examinations,  an  academic  standard  of 
class  membership,  and  a  clear  understanding  of  what  the 
studies  are  for  and  to  what  end  they  lead.  Besides  the 
Uniform  Lessons  and  the  senior  courses  in  the  International 
Graded  Lesson  system,  many  other  lines  of  Bible  study  are 
available  for  senior  use.  Training  courses  for  proficiency 
in  Christian  service  should  be  offered,  and  competent 
teachers  found  to  teach  them.  The  current  teacher-train- 
ing courses,  textbooks  in  church  history  and  denomina- 
tional organization,  history  and  work,  and  the  numerous 
short  courses  of  mission  study  now  available,  are  examples 
of  such  elective  senior  studies.  A  four-years'  church 
training  course,  with  elective  specialization  for  depart- 
mental Sunday-school  teaching  and  other  lines  of  church 
work,  should  be  the  ambition  of  each  large,  far-sighted  and 
resourceful  congregation. 

Activities. — Organized  as  a  company  of  like-minded 
young  servants  of  Christ,  pursuing  a  stimulating  and  sug- 
gestive course  of  practical  studies,  related  effectively  to 
the  life  of  church  and  congregation  in  general  and  the 
body  of  young  people  in  particular,  and  sympathetically 
recognized  by  pastor,  church  ofiicers  and  leaders  as  the 
on-coming  church,  there  is  almost  nothing  in  the  range  of 
possible  church  and  community  service  which  these  seniors 
cannot  profitably  be  encouraged  to  attempt.    Nothing 

194 


THE  SECONDARY  DIVISION 

that  young  people  can  safely  be  trusted  to  do  should  be 
kept  in  the  hands  of  the  older  workers.  The  range  of  in- 
termediate class  activities  should  broaden  out  into  touch 
with  adult  life.  First  in  the  class  itself  and  its  membership, 
then  in  the  school,  then  in  the  church  services,  the  mission- 
ary and  other  societies,  and  the  church  life  generally,  then 
in  missionary  service  and  then  on  into  the  great  range  of 
community  social  work,  way  should  be  made  for  each  senior 
class  to  find  its  work  for  Jesus.  While  there  is  impulse  in 
plenty  to  start  the  classes  on  such  lines,  the  church  must 
think  for  its  seniors  in  advance,  must  show  its  hearty 
sympathy  with  their  motives,  even  when  their  methods  and 
conduct  seem  ill-advised  and  in  need  of  correction,  and 
must  reenforce  their  good  motives  by  pastoral  encourage- 
ment, enthusiastic  appeals  and  the  utilization  of  every 
opportunity  to  send  delegates  to  young  people's  conferences 
and  gatherings  where  spiritual  power  and  holy  example 
may  point  the  way  to  higher  achievement  for  Christ. 


195 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WOKK 


VIII 
THE    ADULT    CLASS 

BY 

W.  C.  PEARCE  AND  OTHERS 


197 


THE    ADULT    CLASS 


HOW  TO  ORGANIZE 

Cultivate  Atmosphere. — It  is  a  mistake  to  organize 
any  adult  class  before  its  members  understand  and 
heartily  approve  the  new  plan  of  work.  One  might 
as  well  plant  garden  seeds  in  frozen  soil.  The  organized 
class  is  an  ideal  democracy,  and  therefore  every  partici- 
pant should  be  both  intelligent  and  sympathetic,  if  the 
largest  success  is  to  be  achieved.  Literature  should  be 
secured,  and  should  be  given  to  those  who  are  to  be  invited 
to  join  the  class.  A  careful  and  thorough  study  should 
be  made  of  the  plans  and  methods  of  the  organized  class. 
Much  depends  on  the  thoroughness  of  this  study  and  the 
impression  it  makes. 

Enlist  Key  Men  and  Women. — A  knowledge  of  any 
community  or  congregation  enables  one  to  select  easily 
the  young  men  or  young  women  whom  others  will  follow. 
It  is  wise  to  approach  such  persons  first,  and  seek  to  win 
others  through  them.  Sometimes  these  leaders  may  be 
found  already  in  the  Sunday  school.  Often  they  are  to 
be  found  outside.  It  is  profitable  to  be  patient  and  per- 
sistent in  the  enlistment  of  real  leaders  at  the  very  begin- 
ning.   A  good  start  gives  promise  of  victory. 

199 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

Organize  Existing  Classes. — Nearly'  every  Sunday 
school  has  one  or  more  adult  classes  that  are  not  organized. 
Invite  the  leaders  of  these  classes  to  a  conference  and  ex- 
plain to  them  the  value  and  purpose  of  class  organization. 
Give  them  some  concrete  examples  of  classes  that  have 
received  large  benefits  through  organization.  When  the 
leaders  have  been  interested,  they  will  secure  the  coopera- 
tion of  the  entire  class  membership.  Invite  the  members 
to  meet  by  classes.  If  practicable,  have  speakers  engaged 
who  have  had  large  experience  in  the  work  and  will  be 
able  to  impart  enthusiasm  to  all  who  are  present.  Have  on 
hand  printed  material  with  suggestions  as  to  plans  of 
organization  and  methods  of  work. 

Enlist  New  Members. — A  careful  canvass  of  the  entire 
neighborhood  should  be  made.  From  this  canvass  care- 
fully prepare  a  list  of  names  of  all  those  who  should  be 
interested  in  Bible  study  and  who  might  be  secured  as 
members  of  an  adult  class.  If  there  is  more  than  one  adult 
class  in  the  school,  divide  this  list  of  names  into  groups  and 
assign  one  group  to  each  class.  Invite  all  whose  names 
are  included  on  the  list  to  attend  a  conference,  where  the 
matter  of  organizing  a  class  will  be  discussed.  Present  to 
them  in  an  attractive  way  the  advantages  of  organization 
for  men  and  women.  Sometimes,  in  this  way,  new  classes 
may  be  started  from  entirely  new  material. 

Division  of  Classes. — In  some  cases  it  has  been  found 
wise  to  begin  by  inviting  a  few  men  and  a  few  women,  who 
have  been  members  of  a  mixed  class  or  unorganized  classes, 
to  meet  at  some  convenient  time,  and  with  their  coopera- 
tion start  two  classes,  one  for  men  and  the  other  for  women. 

200 


THE  ADULT  CLASS 

It  has  been  found  that  numbers  of  men  and  women  are 
not  usually  as  easily  reached  in  a  mixed  class  as  in  separate 
classes.  It  is  not  urged  that  mixed  classes  be  discontinued, 
but  it  has  been  found  wise  to  build  up  in  every  Sunday 
school  a  men's  class  and  a  women's  class.  This  can  be 
done  without  embarrassing  or  hindering  in  any  way  the 
work  of  any  existing  mixed  class. 

Charter  Membership  Plan. — This  plan  provides  four 
definite  steps  in  the  organization  of  an  adult  class:  (1)  The 
holding  of  an  organization  conference  with  those  who  have 
been  chosen  as  leaders,  and  those  whom  they  may  invite. 
At  such  a  conference  a  careful  review  may  be  made  of  the 
plans  proposed.  (2)  The  preparation  of  a  prospective 
membership  list.  This  list  should  include  the  names  of 
those  whom  the  leaders  think  should  be,  and  possibly  could 
be,  won  to  the  class  about  to  be  organized.  The  placing 
of  a  name  on  this  list  should  be  equivalent  to  a  covenant 
on  the  part  of  all  participating  that  they  will  use  every 
legitimate  means  to  win  that  one  to  the  class.  In  making 
this  list  it  should  be  kept  in  mind  that  we  are  commanded 
to  "go  out  into  the  highways  and  hedges,  and  constrain 
them  to  come  in."  (3)  The  appointment  of  a  time  and 
place  for  permanent  organization.  It  is  unwise  to  fix 
this  time  too  near  the  date  of  the  preliminary  organization 
conference;  neither  is  it  well  to  appoint  a  time  too  far  re- 
moved. From  four  to  six  weeks  after  the  date  of  the  organ- 
ization conference  is  suggested.  A  week  night  should  be 
chosen,  and  the  best  place  is  the  church,  where  the  class  will 
meet  regularly.  (4)  The  conducting  of  an  enthusiastic 
and  systematic  canvass  for  charter  members.  Everyone 
on  the  prospective  membership  list  should  be   sought 

201 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

definitely,  and  many  others  also.  The  date  for  forming  the 
permanent  organization  should  be  announced  frequently, 
and  it  should  be  made  clear  that  only  those  who  join  the 
class  before  organization  can  become  charter  members. 
When  this  plan  is  followed,  this  form  of  appHcation  may  be 
used: 


I  wish  to  become  a  member  of  an  adult  Bible  class  to  be 
organized  as  may  be  agreed  upon  by  the  members,  each 
member  to  have  a  voice  in  the  conduct  of  the  class ;  the 
class  to  be  a  part  of  the  Sunday  school  and  its  objects  to 
be  Bible  study,  mutual  helpfulness  and  an  adequate  Chris- 
tian service  for  every  member. 

All  applicants  for  charter  membership  will  be  duly  noti- 
fied as  to  the  time  and  place  of  organization. 

Name - 

Address 

Signed  at  request  of 


When  the  date  appointed  for  the  completion  of  the  class 
organization  arrives,  make  much  of  the  meeting.  Be  sure 
that  a  definite  plan  of  organization  is  ready  to  present. 
Have  in  mind  those  who  will  make  efficient  officers,  and 
provide  for  the  appointment  of  such  committees  as  are 
necessary  to  insure  success.  Many  classes  find  it  exceed- 
ingly helpful  to  close  this  campaign  with  a  banquet;  at 
this  time  permanent  organization  is  effected. 

The  following  standard  of  the  International  Sunday- 

202 


THE  ADULT  CLASS 

school  Association  has  been  tested  many  times,  and  will 
give  to  any  class  a  working  organization: 

L  The  class  shall  be  definitely  connected  with  some 
Sunday  school. 

2.  The  class  shall  have  the  following  oflBcers:  teacher, 
president,  vice  president,  secretary  and  treasurer.  It  shall 
also  have  at  least  three  standing  committees,  as  follows: 
(1)  Membership;  (2)  Devotional-Missionary;  (3)  Social. 
It  is  not  required  that  these  committees  be  known  by  these 
particular  names,  but  that  the  class  shall  have  three  com- 
mittees which  are  responsible  for  these  three  kinds  of  work. 

3.  The  class  shall  consist  of  members  who  are  twenty 
years  of  age  or  over. 

Certificate  of  Recognition. — For  the  encouragement  of 
classes  which  attain  the  foregoing  standard  of  organization 
the  International  Sunday-school  Association  has  prepared 
a  beautifully  lithographed  certificate  of  recognition,  to  be 
given  through  the  various  state  and  provincial  associations 
upon  the  receipt  of  an  application  blank  properly  filled  out 
and  the  small  fee  required. 

The  advantages  of  enrollment  and  the  securing  of  this 
certificate  are  varied.  It  helps  to  advertise  the  organized 
class  idea  to  all  visitors,  and  it  aids  in  establishing  a  per- 
manent and  effective  plan  of  class  organization;  it  is  an 
expression  of  loyalty  to  the  Organized  Adult  Bible  Class 
Movement;  it  is  an  indication  that  the  class  is  willing  to 
stand  up  and  be  counted  as  a  part  of  the  Adult  Bible  Class 
Movement;  it  will  bring  the  class  into  a  helpful  fellowship 
with  the  other  organized  classes  of  its  community  and  of 
North  America.  No  class  should  think  it  can  have  the 
best  success  while  working  alone;  it  will  give  to  the  class  an 

203 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

opportunity  to  help  others — when  a  class  has  been  very 
successful  its  testimony  should  be  given  everywhere;  it  is  a 
tremendous  stimulus  to  world-wide  evangelization  to  know 
that  there  are  so  many  classes  of  men  and  women  being 
organized  in  connection  with  the  Church  and  Sunday 
school  around  the  Word  of  God  and  ready  for  Christian 
service;  it  brings  the  class  into  vital  touch  with  its  own 
denomination  and  with  the  county  and  state  associations, 
making  it  possible  for  them  to  keep  the  class  advised  re- 
garding conventions  and  new  publications;  it  is  an  open 
declaration  that  the  class  desires  to  be  counted  as  a  loyal 
factor  in  winning  the  world  to  the  Man  of  Galilee. 

The  Teacher. — In  selecting  a  teacher  for  an  organized 
class  the  rules  of  the  church  and  the  school  should  be 
recognized.  It  is  essential  that  the  best  teacher  who  can 
be  secured  be  placed  in  charge  of  such  a  class.  The  teach- 
ing of  the  Word  of  God  is  the  magnet  of  power  in  every  adult 
class.  While  no  ironclad  rule  can  be  laid  down,  it  is 
usually  best  to  secure  a  man  to  teach  men  and  a  woman  to 
teach  women. 


204 


II 

AN   ADULT   CLASS   DEMONSTRATION 

The  best  way  to  learn  how  an  adult  Bible  class  does 
its  work  is  to  attend  a  business  meeting  of  a  live  class. 
For  the  sake  of  those  who  cannot  attend  the  sessions  of 
other  classes  there  is  sometimes  given  in  a  central  place 
a  demonstration  of  adult  class  methods.  For  the  occasion 
a  class  is  brought  together  which  is  made  up  of  officers  and 
members  from  many  classes,  and  a  class  meeting  is  held 
which  shows  the  proper  method  of  procedure  in  class  meet- 
ings, and  outlines  valuable  methods  of  week-day  activity. 

One  such  demonstration  was  given  at  Philadelphia, 
Pennsylvania.  After  taking  part  in  the  general  opening 
exercises,  the  chairman  of  the  Executive  Committee  asked 
the  men  to  assemble  on  the  pulpit  platform,  which  had 
been  enlarged  to  represent  a  classroom,  for  the  transaction 
of  business  and  the  study  of  the  lesson.^  At  the  platform 
steps  the  members  and  visitors  were  greeted  by  the  Re- 
ception Committee. 

After  a  general  exchange  of  greetings  the  class  was  called 
to  order  by  the  president,  W.  D.  Stem.  After  prayer  by 
a  member  of  the  class  the  secretary  was  asked  to  give 
his  report. 

'  At  this  special  demonstration  session  business  was  transacted  which 
would  properly  belong  to  the  semi-monthly,  monthly,  or  quarterly  busi- 
ness sessions,  to  be  held  on  a  week  night,  and  followed  by  a  social  or  an 
entertainment.  The  Sunday  meeting  is  for  Bible  study.  Preceding  the 
Bible  study  half  hour  there  may  very  properly  be  brief  reports  of  some 
of  the  committees.  During  the  transaction  of  business  the  president 
should  preside.  When  business  has  been  disposed  of  the  teacher  takes 
his  place  before  the  class. 

205 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 
Report  of  the  Secretary 

As  secretary  of  this  class  I  desire  to  make  the  following 
report  for  the  year  ending  November  20,  1911 : 

Number  on  the  roll  to-day 60 

Number  on  the  roll  one  year  ago 40 

Increase  in  number  on  the  roll  for  the  year..  20 

Present  to-day : 50  (83%) 

Present  a  year  ago 31  (76%) 

We  have  with  us  to-day  11  visitors  who,  I  find,  have 
no  Sunday-school  connection.  I  should  be  pleased  to  add 
their  names  to  our  roll. 

We  have  removed  10  names  from  the  roll  during  the 
year  and  added  30,  making  an  increase,  as  above  stated, 
of  20. 

Of  the  10  members  whose  names  have  been  removed 
from  the  roll,  7  are  members  of  Organized  Adult  Bible 
Classes,  as  follows: 

John  and  James  Scott,  Pittsburgh,  Pa. 

Thomas  Robb,  Buffalo,  N.  Y. 

James  Henry,  Newark,  N.  J. 

Joseph  Boyd,  Wilmington,  Del. 

James  McConnell,  Baltimore,  Md. 

Howard  Hunt,  Scranton,  Pa. 

We  have  reason  to  hope  the  other  three  members  will 
return  to  the  class  very  soon. 

Five  of  our  members  will  unite  with  the  church  next 
Sunday;  then  the  entire  class  will  be  members  of  this 
church. 

Return  postal  cards  have  been  sent  to  absentees,  ear- 
nestly requesting  them  to  return  to  the  class. 

Receipts  for  the  year  were $265.50 

Expenditures 255.50 

Balance $  10.00 

Respectfully  submitted, 

(Signed  by  the  secretary.) 
206 


THE  ADULT  CLASS 

The  president.  ''You  will  agree  with  me  that  this  is  a 
very  gratifying  report  from  the  secretary.  We  shall  now 
hear  the  annual  report  of  the  treasurer." 

Report  of  the  Treasurer 
receipts 

November  20,  1910— balance $  10.50 

Cash  received  for  General  Fund  of  Sunday  school 100.00 

Cash  received  for  Home  and  Foreign  Misssons 90.00 

Special  offering  for  Sociable  and  Class  Banquet 25.00 

Special  offering  for  Flower  Fund 10.00 

Miscellaneous  offerings 30.00 

Total $265.50 

EXPENDITURES 

Voucher: 

110,  112,  114,  116,  119,  121,  123,  125,  127,  129,  131, 
134  (to  order  of  the  treasurer  of  the  Sunday  school 

for  the  school's  General  Fund^ $100.00 

115  Home  Missions 45.00 

130  Foreign  Missions 45.00 

117  Chairman  Flower  Committee 10.00 

118  Chairman  Social  Committee 25.00 

111  Pennsylvania  State  S.  S.  Assn.  O.  A.  B.  C 5.00 

133  Pennsylvania  Bible  Society 2.00 

113  Improvement  Fund  Church 5.00 

120  Men  and  Religion  Forward  Movement 2.50 

122  Missionary  Map  for  Class 3.50 

124  Postage  and  Stationery  (Secretary) 2.25 

126  Itahan  Mission 3.75 

128  Sailors'  Life  Line  League 2.75 

132  Thanksgiving  Basket,  Poor  Family 3.75 

$255.50 
Balance 10.00 

Respectfully  submitted, 

(Signed  by  the  treasurer.) 

The  treasurer.  "I  should  like,  Mr.  President,  to  have 
this  report  audited  by  the  proper  committee." 

1  Every  adult  class  should  give  to  the  treasury  of  the  school  a  specified 
minimura  per  cent  of  receipts,  which  should  be  agreed  on  after  confer- 
ence with  the  officers  of  the  church  and  Sunday  school. 

207 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

The  president.  "In  compliance  with  the  request  of  the 
treasurer,  I  shall  appoint  a  committee  of  three  to  audit 
the  account.  The  committee  will  report  at  the  next 
monthly  business  meeting. 

"We  shall  now  be  glad  to  hear  the  librarian's  report." 

Report  of  the  Librarian 

The  librarian  is  pleased  to  present  the  following  report 
in  behalf  of  himself  and  his  assistants : 

We  have  seen  that  each  member  of  the  class  and  each 
visitor  is  handed  a  hymn  book  on  his  arrival  in  his  place 
in  the  school ;  if  the  singing  has  already  begun,  the  book  is 
open  at  the  hymn  then  in  use.  When  the  members  pass 
from  the  main  room,  where  they  assemble  for  the  opening 
exercises,  they  are  handed  Bibles  as  they  enter  their 
classroom. 

We  have  found  that  some  of  our  own  members  are  em- 
barrassed by  reason  of  their  slowness  in  finding  the  lesson 
in  the  Bible,  and  we  have  learned  that  some  new  men, 
unaccustomed  to  the  use  of  the  Book,  have  hesitated  to 
come,  owing  to  this  embarrassment.  We  have  attempted 
to  overcome  this  difficulty  by  having  placed  in  the  Bible 
at  the  lesson  a  slip  of  paper  on  which  is  written  the  subject 
of  the  lesson,  with  book,  chapter  and  verses.  For  this 
purpose  we  have  been  using  a  rubber  stamp,  which  is 
about  worn  out.  The  blank  part  of  the  slip  can  be  used 
for  notes  and  taken  home  at  the  close  of  the  study  of  the 
lesson. 

We  further  report  that,  having  noticed  carelessness  on 
the  part  of  some  of  our  members  in  the  handling  of  both 
hymn  books  and  Bibles,  we  have  made  it  our  business 
during  the  past  month  to  examine  these  books  at  the  close 
of  each  session,  when  gathering  them  for  replacing  in  the 
cases,  in  order  that  we  might  note  all  damage.  This 
month  it  will  cost  $2.75  to  repair  or  replace  books,  one 
of  which  was  deliberately  marked  with  a  pencil.     We 

208 


THE  ADULT  CLASS 

think  that  the  class  should  make  this  damage  good  out 
of  the  treasury,  if  for  no  other  reason  than  to  teach  us 
our  responsibility  in  the  care  of  church  property. 

We  regret  to  report  that  the  twenty  volumes  in  our  class 
missionary  library  are  somewhat  dusty  on  the  covers  and 
are  elsewhere  as  clean  and  unspotted  as  when  new.  We 
should  be  glad  to  see  a  few  more  finger  marks  from  actual 
use.  This  library  is  almost  neglected.  We  should  be 
glad  to  receive  suggestions  from  the  class  as  to  the  best 
methods  to  adopt  to  induce  the  men  to  use  these  splendid 
and  intensely  interesting  books. 

Permit  us  to  call  special  attention  to  the  volumes  in  the 
Adult  Class  Reading  Course.  These  will  be  found  on  our 
shelves. 

Respectfully  submitted, 

(Signed  by  the  librarian.) 

The  president  "That  is  certainly  fine.  I  would 
suggest  that  some  of  you  fellows  keep  your  pencils  in 
your  pocket  during  the  session  hereafter. 

"We  shall  now  hear  the  report  of  the  Membership  Com- 
mittee." 

Report  of  the  Membership  Committee 

The  Membership  Committee  reports  that  to-day's 
record  shows  eighty  per  cent  of  our  enrollment  in  attend- 
ance. The  contest  between  the  married  and  single  men 
results  to-day  in  a  material  advance  on  the  part  of  the 
married  men,  while  the  single  men  are  holding  their  own. 
The  record  is  as  follows: 

Married  men — enrollment,  40;  present,  28. 
Single  men — enrollment,  35;  present,  22. 

This  change  in  standing  may  be  explained  partially  by 
the  fact  that  two  of  our  members  have,  during  the  last 
week,  taken  unto  themselves  wives,  and  therefore  change 
sides.     Congratulations  are  in  order  for  Brother  Benton 

209 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

and  Brother  Wilson.    The  class  would  be  glad  to  respond 
to  an  invitation  to  a  housewarming  from  either  or  both. 

Of  the  absentees  reported  to  this  committee  to  be  looked 
up,  six  are  out  of  the  city  temporarily  and  letters  of  greet- 
ing and  good  wishes  have  been  sent  them  in  the  name  of 
the  class.  They  have  been  asked  to  respond  with  some 
greeting  that  can  be  read  at  our  next  meeting.  Five  are 
either  sick  or  are  detained  by  sickness  in  their  families, 
and  their  names  have  been  turned  over  to  the  Visitation 
Committee.  One  of  these  expressed  a  desire  that  the 
class  arrange  for  a  cottage  prayer  meeting  at  his  home;  this 
request  has  been  referred  to  the  Devotional  Committee. 
We  are  glad  to  report  that  Mr.  Ames  and  Mr.  Rickard, 
who  have  been  absent  for  some  time,  are  present,  through 
the  work  of  Mr.  Wolfman  of  our  committee.  Mr.  Wolf- 
man,  will  you  tell  the  class  how  you  accompHshed  it? 

Mr.  Wolfman.  "Last  Sunday  I  called  at  the  home  of 
Brother  Ames  and  learned  that  he  had  been  obliged  to  be 
away  from  the  city  for  several  Sundays,  and  that  he  had 
gotten  out  of  the  habit  of  coming  to  Sunday  school.  He 
told  himself  that  he  needed  the  rest,  and  that  the  class 
would  get  along  pretty  well  without  him.  I  made  an  ap- 
pointment and  called  for  him  on  the  way  to  prayer  service 
on  Wednesday  night.  The  pastor  spoke  on  'The  Man's 
Place  in  the  Church/  and  Mr.  Ames  was  so  impressed 
that  he  is  not  only  here  to-day,  but  has  brought  with  him 
a  friend  who,  we  hope,  will  become  one  of  us.  .  .  .  Mr. 
Rickard  is  a  busy  man  and  hard  to  catch,  but  I  wrote  him 
a  letter,  and  had  others  do  so,  telling  him  how  he  was 
needed  in  our  class  discussion.  Late  in  the  week  I  dropped 
in  for  a  few  minutes  at  his  ojffice  and  just  talked  'class.' 
If  Brother  Rickard's  interest  had  lagged,  it  must  have 
revived,  for  when  I  stopped  for  him  on  the  way  here  I 
found  him  getting  ready  to  come." 

The  chairman  of  the  Membership  Committee.     "The  com- 
mittee presents  two  new  members  for  the  class,  and  as  it 

210 


THE  ADULT  CLASS 

may  be  interesting  to  know  how  they  were  secured,  I 
think  Mr.  Davis  will  tell  us  in  his  own  words." 

Mr,  Davis.  ^'The  committee  has  a  list  of  names  of  pros- 
pective members;  the  two  who  unite  with  us  to-day  have 
been  on  this  list  for  some  time.  They  had  both  been  vis- 
ited several  times  by  different  members  of  the  committee, 
and  have  been  attending  our  Sunday-evening  services. 
Last  week  Mr.  Wolfman  entertained  Mr.  Traymore  and 
his  wife  at  dinner,  and  during  the  evening  several  men  of 
the  class  dropped  in  to  talk  over  some  class  matters,  and, 
incidentally,  met  Mr.  Garritt,  who  began  to  see  what  a  live 
thing  our  class  is.  The  result  was  that  he  decided  to  be- 
come one  of  us.  During  the  last  week  Mr.  Frazer  has 
received  a  visit  each  day  from  some  member  of  the  class, 
and  when  Mr.  Sarvis  called  to-day  he  found  that  Mr. 
Frazer  had  considerately  concluded  to  become  a  member 
and  save  us  further  trouble." 

The  chairman.  "Mr.  President,  the  committee  is  very 
glad  to  introduce  Mr.  Traymore  and  Mr.  Frazer  to  you 
as  members  of  the  class." 

The  president  (to  the  members,  as  they  rise  and  receive 
the  greetings  of  the  class).  "I  can't  reach  you,  brethren, 
but  I  want  to  say  you  are  very  fortunate  to  be  in  this  class." 

The  chairman.  "The  committee  calls  your  attention 
to  the  fact  that  we  have  with  us  several  visitors,  to  whom 
we  extend  a  hearty  welcome.  Every  visitor  is  a  possible 
member,  and  always  a  welcome  guest.  We  are  always  in- 
terested in  knowing  how  and  why  our  visitors  come. 
Perhaps  some  would  be  willing  to  tell  us.  Mr.  Morrison, 
of  Chicago,  is  one  of  our  guests  to-day.  May  I  ask  him 
to  tell  us  how  he  came  to  be  here?" 

Mr.  Morrison.  "I  am  a  traveling  salesman  represent- 
ing a  Chicago  firm.  When  at  home  I  attend  church. 
On  the  hotel  desk  last  night  I  noticed  a  card  advertising 

211 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

your  church  and  class,  and  partly  decided  to  look  you  up. 
This  morning,  when  I  came  down  late  to  breakfast,  two 
of  your  members  were  waiting  for  me  and  invited  me  to 
your  morning  preaching  service.  There  more  than  a  dozen 
men  sought  me  out  and  urged  me  to  come  to  the  class. 
Could  I  do  anything  else?" 

The  chairman.  "The  committee  recommends  that  the 
class  be  divided  into  groups  of  seven,  each  of  which  shall 
endeavor  to  increase  its  number  to  ten.  The  first  group 
to  accomplish  this  shall  be  known  as  No.  1 ;  the  second, 
as  No.  2,  etc.  Each  group  is  then  to  be  responsible  for 
its  own  members,  seeing  that  they  attend,  and  if  absent, 
reporting  the  cause.  In  this  way  we  believe  that  we  can 
easily  pass  the  century  mark  in  our  enrollment. 

"The  attention  of  the  class  is  called  to  a  meeting  of  the 
Membership  Committee  to  be  held  on  Monday  night  at 
seven  o'clock.  It  is  proposed  to  decide  upon  a  definite 
plan  and  begin  at  that  time  the  work  of  Allowing  up' 
the  names  reported  on  the  cards  handed  to  our  pastor  on 
Saturday  as  a  result  of  the  great  home  visitation  in  this 
city  on  that  day.  We  urge  every  man  in  the  class,  who 
can  possibly  do  so,  to  meet  with  us  and  join  in  this  work 
of  getting  men." 

The  president.  "Now  we  are  to  hear  from  the  Social 
Committee." 

Report  of  the  Social  Committee 

The  Social  Committee  wants  this  to  be  a  very  sociable 
organization,  so  before  we  have  the  report  I  want  every 
man  to  stand  and  shake  hands  with  the  man  on  his  left 
and  then  with  the  man  on  his  right.     Please  shake! 

Our  social  on  last  Tuesday  night  was  a  great  success. 
We  met  at  the  home  of  the  president  at  half-past  six. 
Three  members  of  the  Reception  Committee  assisted  the 
president  in  receiving  the  men  and  made  all  feel  at  home 
immediately. 

212 


THE  ADULT  CLASS 

The  members  were  asked  to  bring  three  things:  first, 
a  happy,  social  spirit;  second,  a  helpful  suggestion;  and 
third,  a  prospective  member.  Thirty-five  men — twenty 
members  and  fifteen  friends — sat  down  to  dinner  at  seven 
o'clock.  The  class  artist  had  painted  place  cards  for  each 
guest,  suggestive  of  some  peculiarity  or  class  activity. 
For  instance,  the  card  of  the  chairman  of  the  Social  Com- 
mittee pictured  two  men,  jolly-looking  fellows,  enjoying  a 
funny  story,  with  the  motto,  ''Laugh  and  the  world  laughs 
with  you";  the  card  of  the  chairman  of  the  Membership 
Committee  showed  two  fishermen  with  a  net  and  the  motto 
''Catch  'em  alive!"  The  card  of  the  teacher  was  an  earnest- 
looking  man  with  an  open  Bible  and  the  motto,  "Search 
the  Scriptures";  the  president's  card  was  a  smiling  man, 
holding  a  gavel,  and  the  motto  was,  "Me  for  a  second 
term!" 

After  a  very  enjoyable  dinner,  the  president  warmly  ex- 
pressed his  pleasure  in  having  the  class  and  its  friends 
at  his  home  and  as  his  guests.  He  then  asked  the  members 
to  give,  in  one-minute  speeches,  their  opinions  of  the  class, 
its  work  and  its  future.  Twenty-one  bright,  crisp,  help- 
ful, suggestive  speeches  were  made,  including  the  pastor's, 
in  exactly  twenty-one  minutes.  Several  of  the  visitors, 
who  were  not  members  of  the  class,  expressed  their  ap- 
preciation of  the  privilege  of  being  of  the  party. 

At  nine  o'clock  the  men  were  greatly  surprised  by  the 
arrival  of  the  wives,  sweethearts  and  sisters  of  the  mem- 
bers. Music,  singing,  readings  and  recitations  concluded 
the  most  delightful  social  event  the  class  has  ever  had. 
As  a  result  of  this  social  there  are  eight  new  members  of 
the  class. 

At  our  social  next  month  the  class  will  entertain  the 
boys  of  our  school,  and  the  Boy  Scouts  will  act  as  a  Recep- 
tion Committee.  A  great  evening  with  the  boys  is  antici- 
pated.   Men,  be  ready  for  it! 

Respectfully  submitted, 

(Signed  by  the  chairman.) 

91  Q 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

The  president.     "We  shall  next  hear  the  report  of  the 
Social  Service  Committee." 


Report  of  the  Social  Service  Committee 

First.  We  have  noticed  that  less  than  twenty-five 
per  cent  of  the  male  members  of  our  church  are  in  regular 
attendance  at  the  Sunday  services.  We  have,  therefore, 
organized  this  class  into  a  Visiting  Committee.  After 
making  out  eight  lists  of  from  ten  to  fifteen  names  of  the 
male  members  of  our  church,  we  distributed  these  lists 
to  the  members  of  this  class,  who  have  been  visiting, 
two  by  tw^o,  the  men  of  our  church.  It  is  our  intention 
to  give  these  several  lists  to  different  pairs  of  men,  so  that 
before  we  get  through  perhaps  a  dozen  or  more  men  will 
have  called  on  the  delinquents.  In  this  way  we  expect 
to  let  the  irregular  members  know  that  they  are  being 
missed.  The  duties  of  this  Visiting  Committee  are  purely 
social,  and  all  understand  that  if  they  hear  any  adverse 
criticisms  they  are  not  to  advertise  these  among  the  con- 
gregation, but  quietly  report  them  to  the  pastor  or  the 
officers  of  the  church.  W^e  have  mentioned  our  plan  to  the 
members  of  the  women's  class  and  suggested  that  perhaps 
they  could  do  likewise  with  the  women  members  of  the 
church.  We  suggest  that  ten  minutes  be  given  each  Sun- 
day, before  the  study  of  the  lesson,  to  reports  from  our 
Visiting  Committee. 

Second.  We  have  secured  a  list  of  parents  not  members 
of  the  church  whose  children  are  in  our  Sunday  school. 
We  expect  to  visit  these  fathers  and  mothers  and  tell  them 
how  glad  we  are  that  their  children  are  coming  to  our 
school.  If  they  have  no  regular  church  home  we  shall 
invite  them  to  ours,  and  also  extend  a  cordial  invitation  to 
become  members  of  our  organized  Bible  classes.  When 
we  get  the  cards  from  the  Home  Visitation  Committee 
we  shall  let  the  Visiting  Committee  of  this  class  look  after 
these  so  far  as  possible. 

214 


THE  ADULT  CLASS 

Third.  We  have  secured  the  consent  of  our  church 
officers  to  open  the  Sunday-school  rooms  of  our  church 
for  the  neighborhood  children  Friday  evenings  from  De- 
cember to  March,  inclusive,  from  7 :  30  to  9  P.  M.  We  shall 
organize  the  girls  into  sewing,  crocheting,  fancy  work 
and  other  classes.  For  the  boys  we  shall  have  plain  car- 
pentry work  in  the  basement.  We  find  that  some  of  the 
men  and  women  of  our  Bible  classes  have  had  experience 
in  drawing  and  raffia  work,  so  that  it  will  be  possible  to 
have  other  classes  in  these  subjects.  We  believe  that  this 
will  make  the  church  an  important  factor  in  the  neigh- 
borhood and  be  the  means  of  getting  recruits  for  our  Sun- 
day school  and  church.  We  are  now  looking  for  a  com- 
petent person  who  will  act  as  general  supervisor  for  this 
work.  Some  two  hundred  dollars  will  be  needed,  but  we 
expect  to  get  this  sum  by  voluntary  contributions  from 
our  members. 

Fourth.  We  have  sent  one  of  the  regular  members 
of  our  class  to  a  down-town  church  as  teacher.  The  pas- 
tor of  this  church  told  us  that  he  could  use  twenty  more 
competent  teachers;  and  that  if  he  had  that  number  no 
less  than  two  hundred  boys  and  girls,  who  are  now  on  the 
streets  on  Sundays,  could  be  brought  into  his  Sunday 
school. 

Respectfully  submitted, 

(Signed  by  the  chairman.) 

The  president,  ''We  shall  now  listen  to  the  report  of  the 
Devotional  Committee." 

Report  of  the  Devotional  Committee 

During  the  past  month  we  have  asked  the  members  of 
the  class  to  devote  at  least  ten  minutes  of  each  day  to  the 
study  of  God's  Word.  Forty  of  the  men  have  promised 
to  do  so. 

We  took  our  pastor  by  surprise  the  other  night  when  a 
few  of  us  called  on  him  at  the  manse  and  asked  for  the 

215 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

privilege  of  meeting  with  him  for  fifteen  minutes  of  prayer 
before  the  morning  service.  You  may  be  sure  the  request 
was  granted.  He  says  it  will  be  a  source  of  inspiration 
to  him  to  enter  the  pulpit  on  Sunday  mornings  in  the 
knowledge  that  some  of  his  men  are  holding  him  up  before 
God  in  prayer.  We  want  every  member  of  the  class  who 
will  volunteer  for  this  ministry  of  prayer  to  join  us  in  the 
pastor's  study  next  Sunday  morning. 

We  have  had  an  average  attendance  of  thirty-five 
members  of  the  class  at  the  Sunday-night  service.  It  has 
been  a  source  of  great  pleasure  to  your  committee  to  see 
the  way  in  which  the  men  have  scattered  through  the 
audience  prepared  to  greet  strangers  in  any  part  of  the 
church.  If  a  stranger  gets  out  without  a  hearty  greeting 
he  must  go  by  way  of  the  chimney,  as  that  is  the  only 
place  left  unguarded,  and  it  is  warm  even  there  these 
winter  nights. 

Three  men,  with  their  wives,  have  confessed  Christ 
during  the  past  month  and  have  been  received  into  the 
church.  This  has  been  brought  about  by  God's  blessing 
on  the  efforts  of  one  member  of  the  committee.  He  is  not 
a  graduate  of  the  schools,  he  has  had  few  educational 
advantages,  but  he  possesses  two  indispensable  qualifica- 
tions for  soul- winning :  he  has  a  personal  knowledge  of 
Christ  as  his  Redeemer  and  Lord,  and  his  daily  life  is  a 
w^itness  for  the  truth  of  the  Christian  religion. 

Men  of  the  class  are  learning  that  it  is  not  such  a  terrible 
undertaking  to  pray  in  public.  Four  new  voices  were 
heard  in  prayer  during  the  devotional  exercises  of  the  class. 
A  number  took  similar  part  at  the  midweek  prayer  service. 

We  have  organized  a  branch  Sunday  school  in  Irish- 
town,  across  the  railroad,  and  have  arranged  for  cottage 
prayer  meetings  in  the  homes  of  these  long-neglected 
people.  There  is  much  enthusiasm  on  their  part,  and 
some  of  them  have  been  seen  at  the  Sunday-night  service. 
Respectfully  submitted, 

(Signed  by  the  chairman.) 

216 


THE  ADULT  CLASS 

The  president.     ''We  shall  now  have  the  report  of  the 
Visitation  Committee." 


Report  of  the  Visitation  Committee 

During  the  past  month  your  committee  has  again  sent 

groceries  and  provisions  to  the  B family,  and  has  left 

a  standing  order  at  the  baker's  for  a  daily  delivery  of  two 

loaves  of  bread  at  the  home  of  the  G family,  where 

real  distress  exists.     Neighbors  have  been  interested  in 

them  and  they  will  not  be  allowed  to  suffer.     If  Mr.  G 

sobers  up  and  makes  good  on  the  odd  jobs  we  are  getting 
him,  we  shall  get  him  the  proper  clothing  to  come  to  class. 
He  says  he  will  come  when  he  can  get  respectable  clothes. 

Jimmy    M ,    whom    the    Membership    Committee 

brought  into  the  class  from  a  speakeasy  one  Sunday, 
and  who  was  later  converted  in  a  class  meeting,  is  again 
in  sore  trouble.  This  time  the  poor  fellow^  has  been  in  the 
hospital  with  appendicitis.  He  has  just  come  back  to  his 
home  in  very  bad  shape  and  wholly  unfit  for  work.  His 
previous  long  illnes,  with  fever,  used  up  all  his  savings  and 
left  him  in  debt.  With  a  home  to  maintain,  he  is  cer- 
tainly in  a  bad  way.  Some  of  the  members  of  your  com- 
mittee advanced  him  the  money  to  pay  his  rent  and  a  few 
urgent  bills.  We  are  planning  this  week  to  surprise  him 
with  a  substantial  gift  from  the  class  funds  with  which  to 
help  put  him  on  his  feet  again.  He  is  still  unable  to  work, 
but  during  the  two  years  he  has  been  in  the  church  he  has 
lived  a  splendid  Christian  life.  During  that  time  he  had 
a  siege  of  blood  poison,  a  run  of  fever  and  now  appendi- 
citis, yet  he  has  never  complained.  Your  committee  has 
looked  after  him  in  each  illness.  The  boys  should  drop 
around  and  give  Jimmy  a  word  of  cheer. 

In  recent  months  the  members  have  probably  missed 
Mr.  W .  He  has  cancer  of  the  stomach.  His  inabil- 
ity to  work  has  brought  his  family  into  very  straitened 
circumstances,  there  being  six  children  and  only  two  old 

217 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

enough  to  earn  anything.  He  is  a  weaver,  and  his  earn- 
ings were  not  large  at  any  time.  His  condition  has  been 
such  that  he  could  not  be  taken  care  of  properly  at  home, 
so,  after  a  conference  with  the  family,  your  committee 
made  application  to  get  him  into  the  Home  for  Incurables. 
Through  the  influence  of  one  of  the  Board  we  are  enabled 
to  have  him  admitted  at  once,  your  committee  giving  the 
necessary  bond.  One  of  our  members,  who  is  a  chauffeur, 
procured  for  us  the  big  car  of  his  employer,  and  by  means 
of  it  made  the  journey  to  the  home  as  easy  and  delightful 
as  possible;  the  trip  was  made  through  the  prettiest  parts 

of  the  park.     Mr.  W is  being  made  comfortable  for 

the  short  time  he  has  to  live.  As  we  bade  him  good-by 
at  the  home  his  parting  words  were  of  appreciation  to  the 
class. 

A  member  of  the  class  who  has  been  out  of  work  for  a 
long  time  secured — through  one  of  our  number — a  chance 
to  drive  a  delivery  wagon,  but  he  did  not  have  fifty  dollars 
to  deposit;  the  deposit  being  required  of  all  drivers. 
Your  committee  learned  of  this,  and  the  required  amount 
has  been  advanced  by  a  number  of  friends  until  such  time 
as  he  can  repay  the  loan. 

Most  of  you  will  remember  the  little  Englishman  we 
introduced  at  our  last  class  supper;  he  had  just  come  over 
to  America.  We  soon  learned  that  he  was  a  victim  of  the 
drink  habit.  You  will  recall  that  he  attended  our  class 
for  a  while,  but  we  were  unable  to  hold  him  after  he  moved 
quite  a  distance  from  the  church.  Through  him  his 
sister's  husband  has  given  himself  up  to  drink.  This  poor 
woman  is  heartbroken  and  has  appealed  to  the  class  to  try 
to  do  something  for  these  fellows.  Upon  investigation 
we  found  the  children  in  need  of  proper  clothing,  and  have 
taken  care  of  them  and  brought  them  into  Sunday  school. 

We  have  one  of  our  strongest  men  working  in  a  tactful 
way  to  welcome  these  men.  We  expect  to  land  them  both 
in  class  one  of  these  days. 

The  funds  at  the  disposal  of  this  committee  are  getting 
low,  but,  from  past  experience,  we  know  that  the  mere 

218 


THE  ADULT  CLASS 

mention  of  the  fact  is  all  that  is  necessary  to  have  the 
matter  remedied  at  once. 

Respectfully  submitted, 
(Signed  by  the  chairman.) 

The  president,  "Now  we  are  ready  to  hear  from  the 
Temperance  Committee." 

Report  of  the  Temperance  Committee 

During  the  past  month  the  members  of  the  committee 
have  visited  in  the  homes  of  fifteen  men  who  were  habitual 
users  of  strong  drink,  and  have  succeeded  in  obtaining  a 
promise  from  eight  of  them  to  discontinue  the  use  of  liq- 
uors, and  we  hope  to  win  over  the  other  seven. 

We  have  also  urged  our  friends  and  neighbors  to  refuse 
to  sign  any  applications  for  the  renewal  of  liquor  licenses. 
We  would  respectfully  ask  that  the  class,  as  a  body, 
cooperate  with  us  in  this.  We  think  we  can  thus  reduce 
the  number  of  saloons  in  our  neighborhood. 

We  would  also  ask  the  class  to  authorize  this  committee 
to  obtain  temperance  literature  for  distribution  wherever 
we  think  it  will  accomplish  the  most  good. 

We  have  frequently  heard  complaints  made  by  teachers 
that  it  is  difficult  to  obtain  new  material  for  use  in  the 
teaching  of  the  temperance  lessons.  This  committee  has, 
therefore,  planned  to  gather  fresh  material  for  the  use  of 
the  teachers  of  our  school. 

-  The  committee  is  also  planning  another  temperance 
meeting,  when  a  converted  drunkard  will  tell  the  story 
of  his  fall  and  redemption. 

It  has  come  to  our  knowledge  that  the  proprietor  of 
one  of  the  saloons  in  our  neighborhood  recently  sold 
liquor  to  some  of  our  boys  who  are  under  age;  we  have, 
therefore,  reported  the  case  to  the  Law  and  Order  Society 
and  are  prepared  to  furnish  the  necessary  evidence  to 
insure  his  conviction  for  the  offense,  and  the  revocation 
of  his  license. 

219 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

We  have  just  learned  that  the  front  of  the  residence  at 
1561  South  Eighteenth  Street  is  being  torn  out  for  the 
purpose  of  opening  a  saloon,  and  I  move  that  this  class 
enter  a  protest  to  the  court. 

Respectfully  submitted, 

(Signed  by  the  chairman.) 

The  president.  'The  last  report  of  this  business  session 
will  be  made  by  the  Missionary  Committee." 

Report  of  the  Missionary  Committee 

The  Missionary  Committee  gladly  brings  to  your  atten- 
tion a  few  facts  taken  from  the  last  report  received  from 
the  Elat  Mission  Station,  Africa,  in  which  our  class  has 
been  interested  for  several  years. 

The  report  states  that  over  25  schpols,  having  2000 
pupils,  are  supervised  from  the  Elat  center;  that  they  cover 
a  radius  of  50  miles;  that  all  of  them  are  taught  by  pupils; 
that  600  conversions  have  been  recorded;  and  that  last 
winter  they  had  over  1300  present  each  Sunday  for  five 
consecutive  weeks. 

The  church  attendance  is  still  larger;  for  example,  on 
July  4  a  communion  service  was  held  attended  by  3500. 
The  church  building  accommodates  2000,  so  that  1500 
were  compelled  to  sit  outside  the  building,  these  listening 
to  the  message  and  joining  in  the  singing  of  the  gospel  songs. 
At  one  average  Sunday  service  2,500  were  present,  and 
1368  envelopes,  containing  $81.13,  were  taken  up. 

The  Manual  Training  School  has  a  wonderful  record. 
Since  January  the  carpentry  class  has  earned  5200  marks, 
and  the  tailoring  class  2450  marks.  They  report  that  the 
demand  for  the  furniture  made  by  the  pupils  is  greater  than 
the  output. 

Inasmuch  as  at  the  last  meeting  of  the  officers  and  teach- 
ers of  our  school  a  resolution  was  passed  donating  our 
library  of  400  books  to  our  mission  school,  started  two 
years  ago  in  North  Dakota,  we  suggest  that  this  class 

220 


THE  ADULT  CLASS 

offer  to  pack  and  ship  these  books  and  pay  the  freight 
charges. 

We  desire  to  call  your  attention  to  the  interesting 
account  of  the  splendid  progress  being  made  in  home- 
mission  fields  in  the  last  issue  of  our  church  missionary 
magazine. 

Respectfully  submitted, 

(Signed  by  the  secretary.) 

The  president  "How  many  of  you  fellows  read  our 
church  missionary  magazine?    Raise  your  hands!" 

A  member.  "I  move  that  this  class  subscribe  to  the 
magazine  for  the  coming  year,  and  that  each  man  be 
given  a  copy." 

The  motion  was  carried. 

Another  member.  "While  we  are  subscribing,  I  move 
that  those  who  do  not  now  take  the  Adult  Class  magazine 
of  our  church  should  be  provided  with  a  copy  regularly." 

The  motion  was*carried. 

The  'president.  "I  appreciate  the  loyalty  and  the  ex- 
cellent manner  in  which  your  reports  have  been  prepared 
and  presented.  They  are  up  to  date;  you  have  reduced 
them  to  writing,  and  this  brings  out  the  very  material 
which  you  want  to  submit.  This  is  the  way  we  want  it 
presented.  It  is  very  commendable.  Is  there  anything 
further  before  we  close  the  business  session  of  the  class?" 

On  motion,  the  class  adjourned. 

Following  the  business  session,  W.  G.  Landes,  secretary 
of  the  Pennsylvania  Sabbath  School  Association,  taught 
the  lesson  for  the  following  Sunday 


221 


Ill 

THE   ADVANTAGES   OF  FEDERATION 

In  many  communities  the  various  adult  Bible  classes 
have  been  united  into  federated  bodies  which  are  acting 
together  for  many  purposes.  Rev.  Charles  Edward 
Kunkle,  whose  active  connection  with  federation  work 
enables  him  to  speak  with  authority,  has  given  the  state- 
ment made  in  this  chapter  of  the  advantages  of  federation: 

Three  Functions. — ^There  are  at  least  three  distinct 
though  not  unrelated  functions  which  the  federation  idea 
may  be  made  to  serve:  (1)  The  Vitalization  of  Class 
Work;  (2)  The  Lifting  of  Classes  Above  Mere  Denom- 
inationalism;  (3)  Making  the  Classes  a  Force  for  Right- 
eousness. 

Vitalizes  Class  Work. — Federation  inspires  the  indi- 
vidual classes  to  do  better  work  within  themselves.  It 
makes  possible  the  pressure  of  the  larger  life  of  the  larger 
whole  upon  the  separate  parts.  Federation  enlarges 
the  sense  of  fellowship,  which  means  more  power  for  each 
class  unit  and  also  each  personal  unit.  Men  work  better 
in  the  things  of  the  Christian  life  when  there  is  a  broad 
fellowship  of  service.  The  federation  of  classes  develops 
the  sense  of  mass  movement,  and  thereby  helps  to  hold 
men  more  steadfastly  to  their  ideals  and  responsibilities. 
Men  are  lifted  above  mere  formalism  and  institutional 
service,  focusing  their  minds  upon  the  individual. 

Federation  stands  for  a  more  vital  sense  of  brotherhood 
among  men.  This  is  essential  to  effective  Bible-class 
work.    The  weakness  of  much  of  our  organized  work  is 

222 


THE  ADULT  CLASS 

the  lack  of  strong,  sustaining  fellowship.  It  must  be 
remembered  that  the  individual  is  not  for  the  organized 
class,  but  the  organized  class  for  the  individual. 

The  members  of  our  organized  classes,  as  of  the  church, 
need  to  live  their  lives  in  the  sense  of  the  larger  whole  of 
which  they  are  a  part.  Isolation,  independence,  exclu- 
siveness  and  aloofness,  whether  as  classes  or  as  individuals, 
make  impossible  vital  fellowship  and  eflBcient  ministry, 
whether  in  the  word  of  truth  or  in  personal  service.  The 
presence  of  these  conditions  accounts  for  much  of  the 
failure  of  organized  classes  to  give  an  abundant  justifica- 
tion for  their  existence. 

Lifts  Above  Mere  Denominationalism. — ^There  is  great 
need  of  exhibiting  before  the  world  the  essential  one- 
ness of  Christianity.  Many  have  stumbled  and  many 
are  now  stumbling  over  our  divisiveness.  The  subdi- 
vision of  Christians  into  warring  and  jealous  factions  has 
little  in  it  to  inspire  the  man  who  wants  to  get  into  the 
way  of  the  kingdom.  Many  find  it  difficult  to  harmonize 
our  denominational  divisions  and  spirit  with  the  Chris- 
tianity of  Christ.  It  all  seems  too  much  like  "church- 
anity"  instead  of  Christianity. 

We  have  been  giving  splendid  demonstrations  of  our 
common  Christian  enterprise  in  the  large  interdenomina- 
tional conferences  and  conventions,  where  representatives 
of  the  various  cooperating  Christian  bodies  have  inter- 
preted the  work  of  their  several  bodies  on  the  higher 
level.  But  the  spirit  and  sweep  of  such  gatherings  have 
not  yet  made  their  impress  upon  those  who  constitute  the 
rank  and  file  of  our  local  communities.  Into  every  local 
center  the  sense  of  the  larger  oneness  of  Christ's  followers 

223 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

needs  to  be  carried  and  lodged  permanently.  Instead 
of  beating  the  tom-tom  of  the  denomination  we  need  to 
sound  the  clarion  call  of  the  united  kingdom.  The  Fed- 
eration of  Organized  Adult  Bible  Classes  is  the  happy 
method  for  this  service. 

Makes  Classes  a  Force  for  Righteousness. — ^IVIen  will 
stand  more  firmly  for  the  interests  of  righteousness 
when  they  have  the  consciousness  of  fellowship  in  the  in- 
terests of  righteousness.  Federation  serves  to  put  ginger 
into  men's  Christianity.  It  will  help  the  weak  take  posi- 
tion in  the  ranks  of  righteousness.  It  will  put  a  w^hip  of 
cords  into  men's  hands.  It  will  bring  into  expression  the 
note  of  imperialism  in  Christianity.  It  will  inspire  the 
forces  of  righteousness  to  claim  their  rights  to  the  right 
of  way  in  this  world.  It  will  make  men  bold  for  God  and 
truth,  for  justice  and  purity  in  politics,  business  and  society. 

A  federation  of  two  hundred,  three  hundred,  five 
hundred,  one  thousand  men  in  any  given  community 
will  accelerate  the  slow-coming  reforms  of  the  community. 
Politicians  will  respect  the  wishes  of  the  better  element  of 
the  people  when  they  learn  how  to  assert  themselves,  as 
the  enemies  of  the  good  know  how  to  assert  their  wishes. 
The  fear  of  the  Lord  will  never  be  realized  by  those  who 
look  for  personal  gain  rather  than  the  common  welfare, 
until  the  people  of  the  Lord  show  their  colors  and  assert 
their  rights  and  strength.  The  federation  of  our  Bible 
classes  is  the  most  practical  way  to  this  end.  The  fear 
of  the  Lord  is  the  same  as  the  fear  of  the  Lord's  people. 
What  else  has  so  good  a  right  to  be  forceful  as  righteous- 
ness? Surely,  it  is  not  a  passive  thing.  It  is  God  ter- 
ribly alive  in  men  for  goodness. 

224 


IV 

ORGANIZING  AN  ADULT  BIBLE   CLASS  FED- 
ERATION 

Washington  County,  Pennsylvania,  is  one  of  the  best 
organized  adult  class  territories  in  the  country.  There 
are  organized  Bible  classes  in  many  towns.  There  are 
federations  of  the  town  classes  in  a  number  of  places  and 
there  is  a  county  union. 

One  of  the  most  active  of  these  town  federations  is  that 
at  Charleroi,  organized  in  1909.  Concerning  this  Rev.  G. 
G.  Kerr  has  said: 

"Our  first  effort  was  to  get  before  the  adult  classes  of 
the  district  the  purpose  and  also  the  possibilities  of  such 
an  organization.  The  chief  features  emphasized  were 
the  increase  of  class  membership,  a  deepening  of  interest 
in  Bible  study  and  the  winning  of  souls  to  Jesus  Christ. 
The  federation  idea  appealed  to  the  most  active  members 
in  all  the  classes  and  also  to  persons  who  were  not  at  that 
time  identified  with  any  Sunday  school. 

"There  is  a  Membership  Committee  whose  object  it  is 
to  secure  by  personal  canvass  the  names  of  all  persons 
who  have  not  joined  some  class,  and  to  see  that  all  these 
are  visited,  not  once,  but  many  times  if  necessary,  in  the 
interest  of  the  Bible  school.  A  marked  increase  in  at- 
tendance in  the  different  schools  of  the  district  is  an  evi- 
dence of  the  value  of  this  kind  of  work. 

"The  importance  of  Bible  study  is  strongly  urged,  not 
only  during  the  class  period,  but  at  other  times  as  well. 

225 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

The  power  of  the  Word  is  being  felt  and  many  are  becom- 
ing interested  and  active  in  Christian  work  who  heretofore 
took  but  Httle  interest.  Men  in  business  are  coming  to 
reahze  as  never  before  that  Christianity  pays  for  this  hfe 
as  well  as  for  the  life  that  is  to  come,  and  that  the  best 
way  to  make  men  honest  is  to  give  them  a  vision  of  Jesus 
Christ. 

**But  the  thought  most  strongly  emphasized  is  that  of 
personal  evangelistic  effort,  not  merely  as  a  special  effort 
during  a  revival  season,  but  at  all  times.  We  recognize 
God's  willingness  to  work  through  men  to  save  men  every- 
where and  always.  Personal  work  is  urged  and,  to  some 
extent,  practiced.     The  results  are  manifest. 

"A  federation  banquet  is  held  occasionally,  at  which 
time  a  number  of  short  talks  are  given  by  the  members 
from  the  different  classes.  At  one  of  these  banquets  such 
topics  as  The  Value  of  Men,'  'Man's  Duty  to  His  Church,' 
'Man  as  a  Social  Being,'  The  Value  of  Federation'  and 
'My  Part  in  Federation'  were  discussed.  More  than  a 
hundred  men  were  present  at  this  banquet;  the  speakers 
and  some  of  those  most  active  were  men  who  were  at- 
tracted to  the  work  because  the  different  classes  showed 
they  meant  business." 

This  simple  constitution  of  the  federation  is  a  model: 

Article  I.    Name 
The  Federation  of  Adult  Bible  Classes  of  Charleroi 
District. 

Article  II.    Object 
To  increase  the  enrollment  of  men  in  the  adult  Bible 
classes  so  that  their  influence  may  be  used  to  interest 
others,  young  and  old,  in  Bible  study,  church  membership, 
personal  and  civic  betterment. 

226 


THE  ADULT  CLASS 

Article  IIL    Membership 

Membership  in  this  federation  shall  consist  of  all  male 
members  of  adult  Bible  classes  in  Charleroi  District  and  all 
men  who  are  officially  associated  with  Sunday-school  work. 

Article  IV.    Officers 

The  officers  of  this  federation  shall  consist  of  president, 
vice  president,  secretary,  assistant  secretary  and  treasurer. 

Article  V.    Committees 

The  committees  shall  consist  of  a  Membership,  Social 
and  Entertainment,  Devotional  and  Civic. 

Article  VL    Duties  of  Officers  and  Committees 

Duties  of  officers  shall  be  those  usually  expected  in  said 
capacities. 

Duties  of  committees  shall  be :  Membership — ^To  devise 
and  execute  ways  and  means  of  increasing  the  member- 
ship of  the  federation. 

Social  and  Entertainment — ^To  provide  suitable  enter- 
tainment for  the  meetings  of  the  federation. 

Devotional — ^To  devise  means  for  furthering  class  or- 
ganization, for  the  betterment  of  class  plans  and  methods 
of  soul-winning. 

Civic — ^To  devise  means  of  eliminating  vice  and  pro- 
moting the  social  betterment  and  the  elevation  of  our 
fellow  man  in  his  civic  life. 

Article  VIL     Amendments 

This  constitution  may  be  amended  at  any  regular  meet- 
ing by  a  two-thirds  vote  of  the  members  present,  notice 
of  such  proposed  amendment  having  been  given  at  least 
one  month  previous  to  action. 


227 


ONE   TOWN   FEDERATION   AT  WORK 

These  minutes  of  one  meeting  of  a  small  town  federation 
give  many  hints  to  those  who  desire  to  undertake  similar 
work: 

The  Membership  Committee  of  the  federation,  con- 
sisting of  representatives  of  nearly  all  the  classes  enrolled, 
had  a  meeting  on  Sunday  afternoon. 

A  careful  study  and  analysis  of  the  results  of  the  house- 
to-house  visitation  leads  us  to  the  conclusion  that  there 
are  from  twelve  hundred  to  fifteen  hundred  persons  in 
the  town,  over  sixteen  years  of  age,  who  are  not  members 
or  regular  attendants  of  any  of  the  Sunday  schools.  We 
believe  that  this  is  a  conservative  statement.  It  amounts 
to  a  challenge  to  the  federation.  To  seek  to  win  at  least 
a  thousand  of  these  to  active  fellowship  in  the  Sunday 
schools  during  the  next  year  is  the  task  which  your  com- 
mittee would  lay  upon  the  classes  of  this  federation. 

We  desire  also  to  call  the  attention  of  the  federation 
to  the  low  standard  of  attendance  in  many,  if  not  all,  of 
the  classes.  There  seems  to  be  on  the  part  of  many 
members  of  the  classes  a  lack  of  serious  regard  of  their 
class  membership.  Too  many  are  enrolled  who  attend 
only  casually.  Thus  the  efficiency  of  class  organization 
is  seriously  impaired.  It  is  our  duty,  if  possible,  to  raise 
the  percentage  of  attendance,  in  order  that  a  more  sat- 
isfactory standard  of  efficiency  may  be  achieved.  Regu- 
larity in  attendance  is  essential  to  efficient  class  work. 
Membership  involves  the  obligation  of  constancy  in  the 
matter  of  attendance. 

228 


THE  ADULT  CLASS 

In  view  of  these  conditions  before  us,  we  present  for 
your  acceptance  the  following  propositions,  with  the  view 
of  stimulating  the  proper  effort  on  the  part  of  all  the  classes 
to  bring  about  a  larger  ingathering  of  men  and  women  into 
the  fellowship  of  the  Sunday  schools,  and  a  higher  standard 
of  attendance.  We  sincerely  beheve  that  our  classes 
can  attain  a  much  higher  state  of  efficiency  than  that  en- 
joyed at  present. 

We,  therefore,  propose  that  the  classes  of  the  federation 
engage  in  a  campaign  of  effort,  touching  the  conditions  in 
question.  We  recommend  that  the  campaign  begin  with 
March  1  and  close  June  15,  and  that  the  following  stan- 
dards of  efficiency  be  adopted: 

Percentage  of  Attendance. — ^To  stimulate  regularity 
of  attendance  we  propose  to  institute  a  roll  of  honor, 
assigning  the  classes,  according  to  their  percentage  of 
attendance,  to  one  of  the  following  divisions:  (A)  Front 
Line  Classes — All  achieving,  for  the  period  in  question, 
an  attendance  of  eighty  per  cent.  (B)  Star  Classes — All 
achieving  an  attendance  of  seventy  per  cent.  And  (C) 
Banner  Classes — All  having  an  attendance  of  fifty-five 
per  cent. 

Your  committee  recognizes  that  these  are  low  standards; 
but  we  believe  they  are  sufficiently  high  for  a  beginning. 

Your  committee  recommends  also  that  in  working  out 
the  percentage  of  attendance  only  those  be  counted  bona 
fide  members  who  shall  have  been  present  at  least  once 
each  month  after  the  date  of  enrollment. 

Your  committee  also  requests  that  at  the  end  of  the 
campaign  the  records  of  the  classes  be  given  up  to  the 
Membership  Committee  of  the  federation  to  determine 

229 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

the  percentage  of  attendance,  in  order  that  uniformity 
may  be  guaranteed. 

Percentage  of  Increase  of  Membership. — Since  there 
are  so  many  in  the  town  who  are  without  the  fellow- 
ship of  our  Sunday  schools,  the  classes  of  the  federation 
should  experience  a  steady  growth  in  numbers  until  all 
the  available  material  has  either  been  assimilated  or 
thoroughly  tested.  We  recommend,  therefore,  that  the 
classes  be  ranked  at  the  end  of  the  period  of  campaign 
according  to  their  efficiency  in  winning  new  members  on 
the  basis  of  the  percentage  of  increase  in  membership  over 
the  enrollment  at  the  beginning  of  the  period. 

Per  Capita  Offering. — ^We  believe  that  there  is  need 
of  larger  offerings  by  the  members  of  our  classes  to 
the  support  of  our  Smiday  schools.  Too  many  are 
bringing  inadequate  offerings.  The  penny  conception  of 
the  Sunday  school  should  speedily  be  banished.  We 
believe  that  the  measure  of  our  offerings  vitally  affects 
the  efficiency  of  our  classes.  We  propose,  therefore,  to 
institute  a  roll  of  honor  of  classes  according  to  their  per 
capita  offerings  during  the  period  of  the  campaign,  the 
per  capita  rank  of  the  classes  to  be  based  on  their  attend- 
ance rather  than  the  membership  of  the  classes. 

If  these  recommendations  and  propositions  are  accepted 
by  the  federation  to-day,  it  is  the  intention  of  your  com- 
mittee to  arrange  in  conjunction  with  either  the  Com- 
mittee on  Public  Meetings  or  the  Social  Committee  a 
meeting  of  the  federation  as  soon  as  possible  after  June 
15,  when  the  results  of  the  campaign  will  be  made  known 
and  the  honors  awarded  in  some  appropriate  manner. 

230 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 


IX 

THE  TEACHER-TRAINING  CLASS 

BY 

Rev.   franklin  McELFRESH,  Ph.D. 


231 


THE  TEACHER-TEAINING  CLASS 


I 

A  PERSONAL  WORD 

Are  you  looking  forward  to  teaching  in  the  Sunday 
school?  Then  you  ought  to  have  some  months  of  earnest 
study  for  this  fine  task.  Christian  educators,  speaking 
through  the  Committee  on  Education  of  the  International 
Sunday  School  Association,  have  set  a  standard  that  is 
in  their  judgment  within  the  reach  of  all  preparing  to  teach, 
and  is  the  least  that  any  teacher  who  is  thoroughly  in 
earnest  in  desiring  to  do  successful  work  will  ask.  Two 
courses  are  provided,  as  follows: 

I.  First  Standard  Course. — The  minimum  requirements 
for  this  course  are:  Fifty  lesson  periods,  of  which  at  least 
twenty  lessons  shall  be  devoted  to  the  study  of  the  Bible, 
and  at  least  seven  lessons  to  the  pupil,  seven  lessons  to 
the  teacher  and  seven  lessons  to  the  Sunday  school. 
The  remaining  nine  lessons  may  be  devoted  to  any  of  the 
above  required  subjects. 

II.  Advanced  Standard  Course. — The  minimum  require- 
ments for  this  course  are:  One  hundred  lesson  periods, 
with  a  minimum  of  forty  lessons  devoted  to  the  study  of 
the  Bible,  ten  lessons  to  the  pupil,  ten  lessons  to  the 
teacher,  ten  lessons  to  the  Sunday  school,  ten  lessons  to 

233 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

church  history  and  ten  lessons  to  missions.  The  remain- 
ing ten  lessons  may  be  devoted  to  any  of  the  above  re- 
quired subjects.  These  are  minimum  requirements — 
the  very  least  that  will  meet  a  reasonable  demand,  but 
earnest  students  in  preparation  for  successful  work  are 
not  satisfied  with  the  smallest,  they  seek  the  best.  For 
thorough  work  two  years  are  needed  for  the  First  Stand- 
ard Course  and  three  years  for  the  Advanced  Standard 
Course. 

In  enrolling  for  these  courses  you  have  the  privilege 
of  joining  a  class  that  meets  at  the  Sunday-school  hour 
under  a  teacher  interested  in  this  great  theme.  This  is 
perhaps  the  best  way,  for  thus  you  will  be  in  the  main 
current  of  Sunday-school  life,  and  will  be  enabled  to  put 
your  thought  upon  this  work  alone.  Or  you  may  meet 
with  a  class  of  teachers  on  a  week  day,  and  can  then  be 
called  upon  to  put  your  newly  learned  lessons  into  practice 
in  the  Sunday  work  of  the  school.  If,  however,  it  is  im- 
possible to  become  a  member  of  a  class  meeting  on  Sun- 
day or  during  the  week,  you  may  still  take  the  course  of 
study  alone,  receiving  your  examination  questions  and 
securing  your  diploma  precisely  as  if  the  work  were  done 
in  class.  There  are  thousands  of  men  and  women  studying 
secular  courses  in  this  way  to-day.  The  University  of 
Wisconsin  has  several  thousand  students  using  this 
method  in  the  study  of  subjects  like  economics,  sociology 
and  literature.  Doctors  and  law^^ers  thus  strive  to  keep 
up  with  the  advance  of  their  professions  by  extra  studies. 
Why  should  not  the  student  preparing  to  teach  the  Bible 
show  a  like  energy?  Without  a  deep  and  fixed  purpose, 
without  a  real  offering  of  the  life  to  Christ,  Sunday-school 
teaching  will  have  little  of  joy  in  it  and  can  be  crowned 

234 


THE  TEACHER-TRAINING  CLASS 

with  but  small  success;  but  if  his  call  is  ringing  clear  and 
insistent  in  the  heart,  preparation  for  intelligent  teaching 
lies  within  the  reach  of  any  student,  even  the  most  lonely. 

As  soon  as  you  show  a  willing  heart  your  surprise  will 
be  great  at  finding  the  numbers  who  hasten  to  bid  you 
welcome.  There  are  few  Sunday  schools  where  the  su- 
perintendent and  pastor  are  not  prayerfully  anxious  for 
more  trained  teachers;  then  the  welcome  given  by  the 
teachers  already  enjoying  the  rich  experiences  of  this  de- 
lightful service  will  soon  prove  to  you  what  a  noble  com- 
panionship awaits  you  among  those  dealing  with  the 
younger  life.  Few  ties  of  friendship  are  closer  knit  or  more 
lasting  than  those  formed  by  common  interest  in  this 
sacred  volunteer  service. 

You  will  find  that  the  Sunday-school  world  of  to-day  is 
a  very  live,  energetic  and  brilliant  realm,  and  no  true 
spirit  entering  its  ample  gateways  need  fear  loneliness  of 
heart  or  narrowness  of  brain.  It  is  a  land  of  brave, 
strong  men,  many  of  whom  have  thought  long  and  deep; 
of  true-hearted  women  who  have  enriched  it  with  the 
mystic  endowment  of  their  love  and  brightened  its  darkest 
places  with  their  clear-eyed  faith.  Open  your  heart  to 
your  fellow  teachers,  mingle  with  the  groups  and  throngs 
at  assembly  and  convention,  open  your  brain  to  the 
writers,  ever  alert  to  learn  of  and  solve  new  problems, 
and  scanning  the  horizon  of  the  kingdom  for  news  of  fresh 
victories  of  the  cross,  and  you  will  not  be  likely  to  lose 
heart  or  be  lonesome  in  the  Sunday-school  world. 


235 


II 


THE   PLAN 

The  teacher-training  work  is  fourfold.  Provision  is 
made  for  a  study  of: 

1.  The  Bible. 

2.  The  pupil. 

3.  The  teacher. 

4.  The  organization  of  the  Sunday  school. 

A  careful  reading  of  the  next  four  chapters  will  show  how 
important  it  is  that  none  of  these  subjects  be  omitted,  and 
how  attractive  is  the  fourfold  plan. 


236 


Ill 

THE   BIBLE 

Study  the  Bible:  Not  Merely  About  the  Bible.— You 
are  to  learn  to  think  big  thoughts  about  the  Bible,  to  let 
the  eye  search  its  vast  landscapes,  to  catch  glimpses  of 
the  mountain  peaks  along  the  way.  You  are  to  catch 
the  messages  of  the  books,  a  whole  book  at  a  time.  You 
are  to  learn  to  look  into  the  faces  of  the  great  men  of  the 
Bible,  to  know  their  features  and  become  familiar  with 
them.  You  are  to  travel  up  and  down  the  land  until  you 
will  no  more  be  lost  in  Galilee  or  the  streets  of  Jerusalem 
than  in  the  roads  of  your  home  neighborhood  or  the  ave- 
nues of  your  own  city.  The  careful  study  of  the  helps 
in  Bible  geography  which  we  have  to-day  will  make  the 
Holy  Land  well-trodden  ground  for  us.  Lew  Wallace 
wrote  the  accurate  and  realistic  descriptions  of  "Ben-Hur" 
before  he  had  ever  seen  the  Orient;  he  had  nothing  but  the 
printed  page  and  the  map.  You,  too,  can  make  some 
delightful  home  excursions  into  Palestine  if  you  will  use 
the  stereoscope  and  stereograph. 

Historical  Outline. — ^You  can  learn  to  put  each  book  in 
the  true  setting  with  its  sixty-five  companions.  Each 
one  fits  into  its  place  in  the  historical  development  with 
as  much  nicety  as  the  pieces  of  a  locomotive.  When  you 
thus  look  over  the  Bible  history  it  will  become  no  longer 
a  mass  of  scraps  and  fragments,  as  it  too  often  seems  to 
the  teacher,  but  each  life  will  be  seen  as  a  link  in  a  chain, 

237 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

and  you  will  find  delight  in  tracing  out  the  long  prepara- 
tions for  advance,  and  in  searching  for  God's  chosen  agents 
in  carrying  them  out.  These  men  walk  for  a  moment  in 
the  illumined  path  of  God's  mighty  ongoing,  and  when 
you  see  each  one  under  this  divine  light  Bible  history  will 
be  one  of  the  most  fascinating  studies  in  the  world. 

Richness  of  the  Bible. — ^The  Bible  is  so  many-sided  that 
anyone  who  comes  with  open  mind  must  find  some  line  of 
intense  interest  in  it.  Are  you  a  student  of  literature? 
Then  study  the  Bible,  and  you  will  wonder  at  the  supreme 
literary  values  hidden  in  these  old-time  words.  You  will 
catch  the  poetic  grandeur  of  the  Old  Testament,  the  rugged 
loftiness  of  the  prophets  and  the  simple  yet  vivid  force 
of  the  New  Testament. 

Or  perhaps  the  dramatic  side  of  the  Bible  will  appeal 
to  you  even  more — its  penetration  into  the  secrets  of  the 
heart  as  revealed  by  the  life  story  of  saints  and  sinners. 
The  Book  discloses  the  most  powerfully  drawn  charac- 
ters of  all  time.  They  march  acrosss  its  stage  with 
their  hearts  open  and  naked  to  the  eye.  We  get  to  know 
them  as  we  know  no  living  people. 

A  Living  Message. — But  the  spiritual  message  of  the 
Bible  must  be  its  crowning  value  to  you,  as  it  has  ever 
been  to  men  of  all  kinds  and  conditions.  When  you  see 
it  as  a  real  history,  and  ask  what  was  the  feeling  and  pur- 
pose of  this  man  whose  word  lies  open  before  you,  you  will 
have  a  new  message  from  the  Book.  Ask:  Why  did 
Paul  write  his  letter  to  the  Philippians?  What  stirred  a 
farmer  like  Amos  to  speak  before  the  king  of  Israel? 
What  was  the  religious  experience  behind  the  poetry  of  the 

238 


THE  TEACHER-TRAINING  CLASS 

Thirty-second  Psalm?  What  was  the  inner  life  of  John 
before  he  wrote  the  Fourth  Gospel?  Get  as  close  as  you 
can  to  these  living  men  and  you  will  find  the  Bible  con- 
stantly unfolding  before  you. 

Personal  Study. — As  you  get  into  this  closer  personal 
relation  to  the  writers  of  the  Bible  by  a  study  of  Bible 
history,  geography,  manners  and  customs,  and  as  you  put 
each  man  in  his  own  real  place,  then  will  it  become  more 
than  ever  the  living  word  of  God  spoken  to  men,  an  experi- 
ence in  another  human  heart  revealed  to  you  for  your 
guidance.  For  this  intimate  knowledge  you  will  need 
to  study  maps  and  also  to  draw  them  with  your  own  hand. 
You  will  need  more  than  mere  reading — careful  study  and 
some  memory  drills,  frequent  and  sometimes  taxing  re- 
views will  be  a  necessity.  The  Bible  cannot  be  mastered 
by  cheap  devices  or  hasty  lessons.  There  is  a  develop- 
ment throughout  the  whole  book,  and  the  mind  must  grow 
with  the  study  of  it  and  allow  time  for  the  sublimest  con- 
ceptions that  have  ever  been  uttered  in  human  speech 
to  imprint  themselves  upon  the  brain.  Do  not  make 
haste  with  your  Bible  study.  Can  you  comprehend  the 
ocean  at  a  glance?  Do  not  the  mountains  grow  larger 
before  your  eyes  with  the  years?  Does  not  the  sky  spread 
wider  and  vaster  before  the  eye  of  the  astronomer?  Take 
time  to  catch  the  secret  of  the  Bible. 

Teaching  Values  of  the  Bible. — Many  earnest  Bible 
students  fail  as  teachers  of  the  Bible  because  they  have 
not  considered  the  teaching  values  of  the  Bible.  The 
Graded  Lessons  are  making  the  value  of  the  Bible  in  the 
education  of  the  young  far  clearer  to  us  than  it  has  been 

239 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

before.  There  is  a  Bible  for  the  Uttle  child  and  a  Bible 
for  the  older  child,  there  are  pages  full  of  great  hero 
stories — the  noblest,  strongest  ever  told — that  appeal  to 
youth,  and  there  are  mighty  messages  that  meet  the  years 
of  doubt  and  unrest  of  young  manhood  and  womanhood. 
There  are  chapters  and  books  which  can  be  comprehended 
and  whose  value  can  be  known  only  in  mature  life.  The 
adaptation  of  the  Bible  to  the  need  of  each  period  of  life 
and  to  particular  persons  and  classes  is  one  of  the  tests 
and  triumphs  of  teaching  skill,  and  one  of  the  fine  results 
that  follow  a  careful  study  of  the  Bible  with  the  pupil 
in  mind. 


240 


IV 

THE   PUPIL 

New  Interest  in  Child  Study. — Is  there  any  need  of 
studying  the  pupil?  I  hear  a  very  plain  and  common- 
sense  teacher  say  some  scornful  things  about  pedagogy  and 
psychology;  then  this  elderly  person  says  his  mother  knew 
something  about  training  children,  and  she  never  heard 
these  four-story  words.  And  he  says,  moreover,  there  was 
some  teaching  of  the  Bible  in  his  own  boyhood  days,  and 
that  the  teacher  was  a  man  who  won  his  whole  class  of 
boys  to  Christ  without  any  of  this  modern  machinery. 
Now  all  this  is  true  enough;  the  power  of  earnest  souls  to 
touch  the  Hfe  is  above  all  rules.  The  swift  messages  of 
love  fly  to  the  heart  in  flashes  no  pen  can  describe.  But 
is  there  nothing  to  learn?  Why,  the  men  who  have  been 
digging  radium  out  of  the  old  earth  these  last  ten  years 
had  something  new  to  tell  us,  and  those  keen  observers 
who  found  a  way  to  send  messages  a  thousand  miles 
through  the  air  without  wires  had  something  new  to  tell 
us.  And,  do  you  not  think  the  human  soul  has  as  much 
undiscovered  treasure  as  the  earth  and  the  air?  The  men 
and  the  women  who  have  watched  and  prayed  and  loved 
are  discoverers  in  the  newly  found  pathways  of  the  soul 
just  as  truly  as  the  men  who  found  radium  and  wireless 
telegraphy.  There  is  some  real  and  well-proved  knowledge 
about  the  unfolding  and  the  workings  of  the  human  mind 
that  can  be  gained  from  books.  The  great  students  and 
teachers  of  the  inner  life  have  not  worked  in  vain.    There 

241 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

is  much  to  learn  that  is  clear  and  precious.  Many  a 
guidepost  has  been  set  up  along  the  roadway  by  travelers 
who  have  gone  before  us.  Psychology  cannot  be  brushed 
aside  as  a  fad,  nor  pedagogy  be  laughed  at  as  a  tiresome 
set  of  rules.  Into  books  on  these  subjects  some  of  the 
wisest  and  noblest  men  have  poured  the  gold  of  their  ex- 
perience and  insight,  and  it  would  be  as  wise  to  refuse 
to  cross  the  river  on  a  steel  bridge  as  to  refuse  to  use  the 
pathway  their  long  labor  has  made  smooth. 

Need  of  Insight.— What  do  you  think  about  the  little 
child ?  Are  you  to  pour  information  into  his  mind?  Or  are 
you  to  guide  him  by  kindly  suggestion  and  gracious  influ- 
ence? Do  you  think  of  him  as  a  real,  living,  active  soul, 
sure  to  express  himself  in  some  way?  There  are  discus- 
sions in  the  pages  of  the  master  teachers  about  attention 
and  interest  and  point  of  contact  that  are  akin  to  genius 
in  their  suggestions.  How  many  eager,  hungry  teachers 
there  are  who  are  gaining  new  joy  and  new  power  by  the 
words  shouted  back  to  them  from  the  heights  by  the  great 
pathfinders  who  have  gone  before! 

A  certain  reverence  and  wondering  love  for  childhood 
comes  with  our  true  study  of  it  and  our  loving  contact 
with  it.  The  capacity  for  religion  is  a  birthright  of  an 
infant  soul.  He  is  God's  child,  not  an  angel,  but  a  very 
human  sort  of  little  being,  aglow  with  fresh  and  marvel- 
ous activity.  The  best  we  can  do  is  to  begin  knocking 
at  the  door  of  the  senses.  We  bring  color,  motion  and 
sweet  sounds  as  inducements.  We  do  not  create  anything. 
We  simply  lure  these  playing  and  pattering  feet,  hurrying 
every  moment  somewhere,  to  the  best  pathways.  All 
kindergarten  workers  have  learned  the  secret  of  turning 

242 


THE  TEACHER-TRAINING  CLASS 

play  into  life  values  for  the  years  to  come,  and  this  gentle 
secret  must  be  caught  by  all  who  would  look  into  the  tear- 
ful or  smiling  faces  of  beginners.  It  is  the  woman's  art, 
and  her  subtle  power  has  no  richer  field  of  service  outside 
the  home  than  with  the  beginners  in  the  Sunday  school. 

Need  of  Sympathy. — The  child  lives  in  a  fairyland  and 
only  touches  this  dull  earth  for  bread-and-butter  reasons, 
and  you  cannot  step  upon  his  magical  carpet  unless  you 
have  a  story  in  your  mouth.  Prepare  to  be  a  story-teller 
if  you  would  teach  the  child  in  the  primary  room.  It  is 
becoming  a  part  of  a  great  quest  nowadays  to  find  the 
home  of  the  old-time  story-tellers  who  lived  back  nearer 
the  morning  time  of  the  earth.  Brick  pavements  and 
street  cars  and  the  hard-grind,  practical,  western  life  have 
carried  us  far  away  from  them.  We  want  to  moralize 
and  reason  and  talk  about  the  abstract,  but  the  child  will 
not  have  it.  He  listens  with  gasping  of  breath  to  stories. 
He  wants  to  feel  the  magical  touch  of  his  own  fairyland. 
Now  the  Bible  is  the  richest  storehouse  of  ancient  story- 
lore.  It  is  full  of  adventures;  it  has  wonderful  pictures 
of  people;  its  stories  are  short  and  pointed  and  powerful, 
but  we  must  learn  the  art  of  telling  them.  We  must 
learn  to  turn  them  into  the  everyday  speech  of  childhood. 
We  must  bring  these  little  dramas  of  the  old  Hebrew 
world  right  down  to  the  life  of  to-day. 

Importance  of  the  Junior  Years. — In  the  later  period 
of  work  the  junior  boy  or  girl  longs  for  heroes  and  heroines. 
It  may  be  that  the  boys  and  girls  have  dull  ears  for  preach- 
ing or  for  moral  axioms.  But  they  are  intensely  inter- 
ested in  actual  people  and,  very  often,  in  ideal  folks  as 

243 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

well.  They  are  ablaze  with  sentiment  and  all  on  fire 
for  brave  men  and  beautiful  women  and  for  adventure 
and  activity.  Prepare  to  people  their  shadow  land  with 
the  real  type  of  hero  and  heroine.  The  teacher  and  pupil 
are  often  in  the  same  room  and  yet  a  thousand  miles  apart. 
The  teacher  is  talking  about  goodness  and  righteousness 
and  the  boy  is  day-dreaming  about  baseball  pitchers  and 
maybe  prize  fighters,  or  the  girl  is  probably  thinking 
of  heiresses  and  queens.  Now  the  teacher  must  find 
some  path  by  which  he  can  reach  the  mind  and  they  two 
can  come  together.  He  must  begin  to  talk  about  some 
one  in  whom  they  are  both  interested. 

Christian  Heroes. — Put  the  heroes  of  modern  missions, 
the  stories  of  the  strong  men  of  mighty  deeds  who  have 
lived  and  left  their  names  upon  the  pages  of  Christian 
history,  side  by  side  with  the  bravery  and  manliness  told 
of  in  the  Bible.  Hunt  for  the  nobler  side  of  life  to-day. 
There  is  no  lack  of  it,  and  the  search  for  them  will  soon 
bring  to  light  stories  of  courage  and  self-denial  and  Chris- 
tian faith  that  will  stir  the  blood  and  win  the  heart  of 
the  young  life  to  which  you  are  speaking.  The  teacher 
should  live  in  a  world  peopled  with  noble  characters,  ever 
using  the  finest  womanhood  of  the  present  and  the  men 
who  are  doing  sublime  things  to  illumine  the  Bible  types 
of  character.  Learn  the  stories  of  Luther  and  Knox  and 
Wesley,  of  Whitman,  of  Pere  Marquette,  of  Paton  and 
the  many  others  who  are  worthy  to  be  ranked  in  this  class 
of  daring,  self-sacrificing  men. 

Memory's  golden  period  is  here,  and  you  can  readily 
freight  the  mind  with  the  choicest  words  from  the  Bible, 
with  the  nobler  Christian  poetry  and  the  hero  stories  of 

244 


THE  TEACHER-TRAINING  CLASS 

the  Christian  ages.  John  Ruskin's  mother  caused  him, 
when  he  was  a  boy,  to  commit  to  memory  twenty-six 
chapters  of  the  Bible  on  Sunday  afternoons.  She  chose 
the  great  chapters.  In  his  later  years  Ruskin  said  of 
this,  "In  doing  this  she  estabhshed  my  soul  in  life." 
To  these  chapters,  stored  in  memory,  he  attributed  much 
of  the  rhythm  and  dignity  of  his  matchless  prose. 

Leadership  for  the  Teen  Years. — There  come  now  the 
days  when  the  child  rushes  through  the  trying  interme- 
diate years  to  the  fascinating  period  of  youth.  The  child 
life  is  flung  aside  with  disdain,  the  face  is  forward,  the 
form  lifts,  shoulders  and  chest  expand,  the  brain  gathers 
new  force,  the  will  shows  signs  of  revolt.  This  is  the  com- 
ing of  the  individual  into  his  kingdom.  Contradictions 
and  contrasts  now  bewilder  the  teacher.  The  awkward 
boy  and  the  shy  girl  strengthen  and  bloom.  It  is  the 
springtime  of  life,  the  day  for  seed-sowing,  the  day  of 
March  bUzzards  and  April  showers.  It  is  the  time  of 
lasting  impressions  from  a  single  word,  of  sweet  friendships 
and  sharp  aversions,  of  gloomy  doubts  and  quick  decisions. 
As  the  days  of  fourteen  to  sixteen  come,  the  crossroads 
of  life  lie  straight  across  the  way  of  our  young  people. 
Shall  they  turn  to  the  right  or  to  the  left,  to  error  and  sin 
and  shame,  or  to  right  living  and  earnest  purpose  and  the 
joy  of  service? 

The  privilege  of  influence  right  now  is  one  of  the  richest 
ever  offered  the  parent,  the  friend,  the  teacher  and  the 
pastor.  Authority  is  much  a  thing  of  the  past,  for  these 
young  souls  want  to  try  their  wings  in  the  morning  air 
and  are  eager  for  its  storms  and  allured  by  its  whirlwinds. 
This  is  the  time  for  strong  words,  for  personal,  heart-to- 

245 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

heart  talks,  for  positive  soul-winning,  and  for  frank  and 
wise  meeting  of  questions  and  answering  of  doubts  kindly 
and  fairly.  Put  forth  all  your  strength  and  skill  now  to 
win  them  to  Christ,  for  these  are  the  golden  days,  and  like 
opportunities  will  never  come  again. 

To  show  you  how  to  understand  the  pupil — his  needs, 
his  likes  and  dislikes,  his  aptitudes  and  the  workings  of 
his  mind — is  the  purpose  of  the  second  part  of  the  four- 
fold plan  of  teacher  training. 


246 


THE  TEACHER 

Can  the  Teaching  Art  Be  Learned? — Have  these  busy 
years  that  have  turned  the  world  upside  down  in  so  many 
ways  brought  any  new  hght  on  the  methods  of  teaching? 
The  business  man  now  is  hurrying  from  city  to  city  by  the 
limited  trains.  The  physician  is  eagerly  seeking  in  the 
hospital  the  latest  method  for  healing  men.  The  farmer 
is  buying  new  machinery  that  will  enable  one  man  to  do 
the  work  of  ten.  How  shall  the  teacher  of  rehgion  seek 
for  new  and  best  ways  of  approach  to  the  human  heart? 

Feel  your  pupil's  need.  This  lies  at  the  very  root  of  the 
matter.  It  is  easy  to  see  that  a  class  of  six-year-old 
pupils  need  some  guidance,  and  yet  how  often  we  think 
that  they  grow  up  and  become  men  and  women  just  as 
nature  framed  them!  Nobody  is  born  a  person.  Person- 
ality is  slowly  achieved.  It  could  never  arise  apart  from 
social  influence.  Somebody  draws  forth  the  possibilities 
of  every  human  soul  that  really  achieves  anything.  With- 
out this  direct  contact  of  brain  with  brain  and  heart  with 
heart  the  nobler  life  can  never  be  gained.  Fine  souls  do 
not  grow  alone;  they  are  cultivated.  They  are  the  results 
of  older  lives  close  to  them.  There  are  really  no  self- 
made  souls,  just  as  there  are  no  truly  self-taught  pupils. 
Now  some  best  possible  part  of  the  life  depends  upon  just 
what  you  teach.  That  is  the  dignity  of  teaching.  This 
influence  is  clearer  when  we  stand  before  childhood.  But 
you  are  called  to  teach  young  men  or  to  be  the  guide  of 
middle-aged  people,  and  your  mind  is  still  the  one  pre- 
pared, positive,  leading  force  in  that  group.    You  cannot 

247 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

measure  the  possible  development  in  those  minds  before 
you.  You  do  not  know  what  riches  lie  close  to  the  sur- 
face, but  whatever  hidden  wealth  there  is  will  come  by- 
some  one's  seeking  it.  The  higher  your  regard  for  those 
before  you,  the  deeper  you  feel  the  need  of  helping  them 
express  themselves.  They  will  never  realize  their  true 
selves  without  some  one's  aid.  Why  should  not  you  be 
the  one?  Every  lump  of  gold  was  brought  to  light  by 
some  miner's  pick.  Every  soul  was  won  by  some  one. 
And  you  know  not  the  day  nor  the  hour  when  a  supreme 
religious  opportunity  lies  before  you. 

Leam  to  Impart  New  Ideas.— Find  the  open  door  to 
the  pupil's  mind.  A  cotton-spinner  stands  before  the 
shuttles  flying  too  swiftly  for  the  eye,  yet  somehow  he 
brings  out  the  well-spun  cloth.  You,  the  teacher,  stand 
before  ten  or  twenty  flying  shuttles  of  thought,  not  held 
in  well-ordered  grooves,  but  flying  wildly  in  strange  tangles. 
How  are  you  to  weave  the  fabric  of  your  day's  lesson  from 
these  threads?  how  secure  attention?  how  persuade  them 
all  to  think  one  thing?  how  bring  everyone  to  your  train 
of  thought?  Draw  them  together  by  illustration.  "You 
tell  us  well  enough  what  things  are,"  said  the  plain- 
spoken  and  eager  woman  to  the  minister,  "but  you  do  not 
tell  us  what  they  are  like."  "Without  a  parable  spake 
he  not  unto  them."  From  the  stories  to  beginners  to  the 
stories  for  the  oldest  students,  the  mind  needs  the  challenge 
of  imagination,  of  incident,  of  cases  from  real  life,  of 
something  that  draws  it  quickly  to  the  point. 

Know  your  message  from  the  Bible.  Have  it  clear  and 
well  thought  out,  so  that  it  offers  a  plain  track  for  the  mind 
when  once  you  catch  the  flying  shuttle.     Have  one  great 

248 


THE  TEACHER-TRAINING  CLASS 

truth  in  every  lesson.  Believe  it  yourself,  repeat  it, 
look  at  it  from  many  sides,  review  it,  illustrate  it,  enforce 
it,  make  it  so  clear  they  cannot  forget  it. 

Out  of  the  Heart. — Impart  yourself.  Be  sure  you  can- 
not tell  what  is  not  clear  to  you.  You  cannot  persuade 
others  to  believe  what  is  in  doubt  in  your  mind.  Think 
your  way  through,  pray  until  the  lesson  becomes  yours 
and  speak  out  of  the  authority  of  your  own  faith.  This  is 
the  secret  of  success  with  so  many  unlearned  teachers. 
It  is  the  power  of  the  positive  and  assured  soul  to  impart 
itself.  Face  your  doubts  till  you  settle  them  in  your  own 
breast.  Study  your  questions  until  you  have  reasonable 
answers.  Put  your  lesson  in  order  till  it  is  clear  to  you, 
and  then  teach  from  the  heart. 

Need  of  Aim. — Dr.  Chapman  says:  "A  flippant  teacher 
might  turn  a  child  forever  against  sacred  things.  A 
careless  teacher  might  in  one  sentence  plant  in  a  little  life 
a  seed  which  would  produce  in  after  years  a  harvest  of 
all  that  is  bad,  while  an  unsaved  teacher  might  be  the 
cause  of  the  loss  of  a  soul.  At  the  same  time,  a  faithful, 
consecrated,  godly  teacher  might  in  one  lesson  lead  a 
pupil  to  Christ,  and  in  that  one  add  a  nation  to  the  king- 
dom of  God.  I  have  in  mind  a  missionary  who  has  made 
continents  glow  with  the  glory  of  God,  a  minister  who  has 
led  thousands  to  a  better  Christian  experience  and  an 
evangelist  who  has  led  tens  of  thousands  to  the  Master, 
all  of  these  workers  having  been  led  to  Christ  as  boys  in 
the  Sunday  school,  the  teacher  being  used  of  God  to  reach 
them." 

Would  you  be  such  a  teacher?  Can  you  make  a  better 
start  than  by  enrolling  for  the  course  in  teacher  training? 

249 


VI 

THE  SCHOOL 

A  Real  School. — ^The  teacher-training  class  is  usually 
the  only  group  giving  any  actual  study  to  the  principles 
and  methods  guiding  the  Sunday  school.  It  should  on 
account  of  such  study  be  rich  in  ideals  and  fertile  in  prac- 
tical suggestions.  It  should  have  an  immediate  influence 
on  the  school  at  work  in  its  own  church,  and  outline  an 
aggressive  policy  for  the  future.  The  Sunday  school  as  an 
institution  is  now  in  process  of  rapid  development  and  con- 
sequently in  a  state  of  constant  unrest.  The  introduction 
of  more  strictly  educational  methods  raises  many  problems. 
Graded  schools  and  graded  lessons  cannot  be  reached  by 
passing  a  resolution  and  a  wave  of  the  hand;  they  are 
gained  after  months  and  years  of  faithful  work.  The 
Sunday  school  is  no  longer  a  formless  group  of  classes 
studying  the  same  lessons;  it  is  a  school,  it  recognizes 
growth  and  so  constant  progress,  it  recognizes  a  climax 
and  so  a  graduation  from  its  earlier  classes,  it  recognizes 
the  training  of  grown  Christians  for  service. 

I.  Study  of  Organization. — What  is  the  form  of  organi- 
zation most  successful  in  the  judgment  of  teachers  of  ex- 
perience? There  is  a  fair  agreement  now  upon  the  require- 
ments of  a  standard  school.  Why  have  these  grades, 
departments  and  divisions  been  adopted?  What  is  the 
working  plan,  and  what  is  the  final  aim  of  the  Sunday 
school? 

250 


THE  TEACHER-TRAINING  CLASS 

1.  Study  the  organization  in  a  number  of  the  best  recent 
books  and  discuss  freely.  Keep  clearly  in  mind  the  fact 
that  religious  education  has  a  great  mission  and  must 
use  the  best  methods  approved  by  the  experience  of  the 
leaders  in  education. 

2.  Study  the  application  in  the  best  schools  within 
reach  by  observation.  Report  on  these  to  the  class,  and 
discuss. 

3.  Study  the  organization  in  regard  to  "Our  School." 
Is  it  a  large  or  small  school,  a  city,  town  or  country  school? 
In  what  way  can  our  school  become  a  complete  working 
organization,  using  its  forces  efficiently  to  produce  the 
highest  possible  results  in  winning  pupils  to  Christ  and 
building  Christian  character? 

In  such  a  study  the  whole  work  from  Cradle  Roll  to 
Adult  Department  must  be  carefully  considered  and  its 
possibilities  noted.  This  will  often  be  a  discovery,  a  work 
of  faith  rather  than  a  description  of  present  activities;  it 
is  both  an  insight  and  an  outlook. 

4.  Make  a  special  study  of  weak  points.  In  the  Sunday- 
school  work  as  a  whole  certain  parts  have  been  made 
stronger  than  others.  The  Primary  Department  has  been 
far  ahead  and  the  Intermediate  Department  has  been 
the  break  in  the  line,  while  the  Adult  Department  by 
organized  classes  has  shown  the  most  rapid  recent  devel- 
opment. The  size  of  the  school  has  shown  rapid  growth. 
There  are  many  large  schools  far  beyond  the  enrollment 
reported  in  other  years.  How  have  these  advances  been 
made?  What  methods  have  been  tried  and  tested  that 
we  may  be  sure  of  them?  For  instance,  the  boys'  classes 
in  the  Intermediate  Department  and  boys'  activities  for 
week-day  work  are  now  holding  the  center  of  interest. 

251 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

What  has  been  offered  by  the  leaders  in  the  "teen"  years 
to  produce  this  splendid  enthusiasm  and  to  secure  such 
substantial  results? 

How  are  these  boys'  organizations  related  to  the  other 
departments,  such  as  the  junior,  the  adult,  the  girls'  organ- 
ization? Study  organization  in  the  training  class,  so  that 
you  will  not  be  satisfied  with  a  mere  outline  on  paper,  but 
seek  the  latest  news  from  the  firing  line  and  ask  how  these 
victories  can  be  repeated  in  our  schools. 

II.  The  School  and  the  Community. — ^The  Sunday 
school  must  be  studied  in  its  wider  relation  if  we  are  to 
know  its  true  dignity  and  its  real  mission. 

1.  How  is  it  related  to  other  organizations?  What  are 
the  public  schools  teaching  in  morals  and  what  is  the  result 
in  the  life  of  their  pupils?  In  what  measure  are  they 
meeting  the  needs  of  the  spiritual  nature?  What  coopera- 
tion can  we  have  by  clear  understanding? 

2.  What  other  religious  and  charitable  organizations 
are  at  work,  such  as  the  Christian  Associations,  the  United 
Charities,  etc.? 

3.  What  are  the  conditions  and  influences  in  regard  to 
play  life,  amusement,  recreation  for  children  and  young 
people? 

4.  How  far  have  the  different  Sunday  schools  united 
in  a  social  survey  of  the  community?  Are  they  aiming 
to  reach  and  teach  all  Protestant  childhood  and  youth? 

5.  What  is  our  school  doing  in  trying  to  reach  those 
without  religious  instruction?  What  is  it  doing  for  the 
larger  life  of  the  community?  What  is  the  next  duty  that 
lies  open  to  it? 


252 


THE  TEACHER-TRAINING  CLASS 

in.  Worship. — Make  a  careful  study  of  the  Sunday 
school  in  regard  to  worship. 

1.  Is  the  opening  exercise  merely  an  introduction  for 
the  sake  of  calling  the  members  together  and  securing 
quiet  in  the  lesson  period,  or  is  it  truly  a  time  of  reverent 
and  inspiring  song  and  prayer. 

2.  Study  the  hymns  and  tunes  used.  Are  they  fitted 
to  the  pupils  and  to  the  hour?  Have  they  the  spirit  and 
loftiness  of  real  hymns  of  praise? 

3.  Is  there  instruction  in  regard  to  worship,  pubhc  and 
private,  by  the  teachers?  Do  the  pupils  take  part  in  the 
worship,  or  do  they  only  look  on? 

4.  Is  there  a  temper  and  atmosphere  in  the  school  in 
which  the  teacher  can  instruct  with  a  view  to  Christian 
progress  in  the  mind  of  childhood,  and  in  w^hich  we  can 
win  to  Christ  and  develop  Christian  character  in  later 
years? 

Finally,  is  our  school  promoting  and  teaching  a  high 
type  of  Christian  manhood  and  womanhood? 

These  are  only  a  few  of  the  suggestive  questions  which 
ought  to  be  asked  in  any  class  and  studied  with  care  by 
every  group  of  teachers,  but  they  indicate  the  constructive 
type  of  work  possible  in  a  training  class. 


253 


VII 
HOW  TO  AWAKEN   INTEREST 

The  Need. — No  one  need  call  attention  to  the  deficiency 
in  the  number  of  well-prepared  teachers  in  the  Sunday 
school.  It  is  acknowledged  by  everyone;  yet,  while  the 
need  is  felt,  it  is  not  fully  considered.  Until  the  w^ork  of 
the  teacher  in  the  school  is  studied  more  carefully  by  the 
churches  there  will  not  be  any  rapid  increase  in  numbers. 
Until  more  thorough  and  adequate  plans  are  laid  and 
generously  supported  by  the  churches  there  cannot  be 
any  satisfactory  development  in  the  method  and  efficiency 
in  teaching.  The  past  five  years  have  seen  the  Sunday 
school  advance  more  than  any  agency  of  the  Church,  but 
as  yet  we  are  only  at  the  beginning  of  a  great  movement 
in  religious  education.  The  teaching  ministry  of  the 
Church  has  been  left  in  large  measure  to  the  public  school; 
but  now,  as  the  Bible  is  more  and  more  denied  place  in 
the  schools  of  the  State,  the  Church  must  enter  seriously 
upon  the  great  work  which  belonged  to  it  in  the  early 
centuries. 

A  Committee  on  Education. — A  Committee  on  Educa- 
tion in  each  local  church  is  the  more  effective  way  to  make 
the  work  of  training  teachers  thorough  and  permanent. 
This  committee  should  be  selected  with  care,  and,  with  the 
pastor  and  superintendent,  be  charged  with  the  care  for 
courses  of  study  and  organization  and  plans  for  better- 
ment of  the  Sunday  school.  Such  a  committee  can  give 
vigor  and  stability  to  the  teacher-training  class.  This 
class  is  not  a  mere  incident  nor  subject  to  the  passing  en- 

254 


THE  TEACHER-TRAINING  CLASS 

thusiasm  of  a  group;  it  is  a  part  of  the  essential  and 
regular  organization  of  the  school,  and  deserves  support 
and  encouragement  from  the  whole  authority  and  mem- 
bership of  the  church. 

A  thoughtful  Educational  Committee  will  be  aware 
that  the  training  of  Sunday-school  teachers  is  the  very 
life  of  the  church.  Three  hundred  thousand  teachers 
and  officers  enter  upon  their  duties  anew  every  year  in 
America.  Upon  the  quality  of  the  leadership  and  teach- 
ing of  these  beginners  depends  a  very  large  part  of  the 
success  or  failure  of  the  kingdom  of  Christ  in  our  land. 
Nothing  but  a  great  and  truly  educational  system  of  train- 
ing will  meet  the  demand  of  the  day. 

The  local  committee  must  cooperate  with  the  central 
boards  of  the  churches  and  put  itself  in  line  to  promote 
training  of  the  high  character  approved  in  methods  and 
textbooks  by  the  Sunday-school  authorities  of  its  own 
denomination. 

The  Efficiency  Test.— The  Educational  Committee 
should  first  turn  with  the  pastor,  superintendent  and  teach- 
ers to  a  study  of  its  own  school.  Let  us  suppose  that  with 
time  and  care  an  efficiency  test  like  the  following  were 
applied : 

1.  What  is  the  enrollment  by  ages  and  departments  of 
our  school? 

2.  What  is  the  average  attendance?  How  does  it  differ 
in  ages,  departments  and  sexes? 

3.  Have  we  a  system  of  reports  by  which  we  can  test 
the  results  of  our  work? 

4.  Are  the  lessons  of  our  school  fitted  to  the  pupils  in 
each  department? 

255 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

5.  Is  there  a  wise  and  careful  attention  to  the  spiritual 
needs  of  the  younger  pupils? 

6.  Is  there  any  definite  plan  for  instruction  in  Christian 
service  and  personal  evangelism  for  the  older  pupils? 

7.  Are  the  teachers  chosen  with  special  regard  to  their 
fitness  for  the  different  departments? 

8.  Have  we  enough  well-prepared  teachers  for  the  classes 
in  the  ''teen"  years? 

9.  Have  we  an  adequate  plan  for  training  the  pros- 
pective teachers? 

10.  How  far  is  our  school  meeting  the  real  needs  of  the 
community?     How  far  are  we  preparing  for  growth? 

Awakening  the  Church. — By  such  study  of  both  the 
needs  at  large  and  the  local  conditions,  a  small  group— 
the  Educational  Committee,  the  pastor  and  Sunday- 
school  workers — will  be  brought  face  to  face  with  the 
actual  problems.     They  will  be  alive  and  eager  for  work. 

Their  next  task  is  to  appeal  to  the  whole  church,  to 
awaken  an  educational  conscience,  a  sense  of  responsi- 
bility for  religious  teaching.  Heretofore  the  Sunday 
school  itself  has  been  left  to  a  few  willing  and  noble  work- 
ers, and  the  teacher-training  class  has  been  in  a  corner. 
The  school  was  one  of  the  smaller  interests  in  the  church, 
and  the  training  was  a  small  interest  of  the  Sunday 
school. 

The  training  of  the  leaders  of  the  church  must  rest 
upon  the  heart  of  its  whole  membership,  and  when  once 
it  is  felt  as  a  loving  interest  a  long  advance  will  be  made. 
Some  public  presentation  should  be  made  to  instruct 
the  congregation.  The  pastor  can  preach  on  the  new 
problems  and  new  duties  arising  in  our  modern  society 

256 


THE  TEACHER-TRAINING  CLASS 

in  regard  to  religious  education.  The  ignorance  of  the 
Bible  among  high-school  and  college  students  will  give 
him  a  theme.  The  fact  that  one-third  of  the  children 
and  youth  of  school  age  in  the  United  States  are  not  under 
any  system  of  religious  training  will  give  him  a  second 
theme.  The  interest  in  child  study,  in  education  and  in 
the  effort  to  promote  child  welfare  in  the  nation  will 
suggest  much  for  the  church  and  its  half -neglected  tasks. 

After  the  pulpit  message,  some  clear  and  earnest  pres- 
entation should  be  made  to  the  church  authorities  and 
to  the  local  Sunday-school  Council  or  to  a  group  meeting 
of  all  the  workers.     All  these  are  plans  to  arouse  interest. 

But  the  awakened  conscience  of  the  church  will  come 
from  a  sense  of  need.  The  deep  conviction  that  a  great 
duty  lies  at  the  door  may  be  relied  upon  to  produce  action. 
When  the  whole  church  once  believes  that  it  must  enter 
upon  the  work  of  religious  education  as  a  business,  then 
time  and  money  and  organization  will  come  to  the  Sunday 
school  as  the  supreme  teaching  and  evangelistic  oppor- 
tunity. 

The  Training  Class  Does  Not  Live  to  Itself.— This 
broad  foundation  in  strong,  intelligent  sentiment  pervad- 
ing the  religious  community  gives  dignity  and  permanence 
to  the  training  class.  It  can  never  have  a  true,  healthy 
life  to  itself.  Treated  as  a  good  thing,  it  prospers  for  a 
time  under  some  earnest  individual  and  then  declines: 
given  deep  root  in  the  affections  and  convictions  of  the 
religious  leaders,  it  is  guided  and  inspired  to  make  sacri- 
fice during  long  weeks  of  preparation,  it  is  greeted  with 
a  generous  appreciation  on  public  occasions,  and  its  mem- 
bers are  treated  as  the  leaders  of  the  Church  of  the  future. 

257 


vm 

TRAINING   THE   TEACHERS   OF  TO-MORROW 

The  Class  at  the  Sunday-school  Hour. — *'We  shall 
never  have  enough  teachers/'  says  Frank  L.  Brown, 
"unless  we  begin  to  train  them  before  they  are  eighteen." 
We  may  begin  as  early  as  fifteen  at  times  with  bright  and 
earnest  pupils.  As  they  are  ready  for  promotion  from  the 
Intermediate  to  the  Senior  Department  the  choice  should 
be  made  carefully.  There  are  many  reasons  why  this  is  a 
favorable  time.  The  day  of  rapid  acquiring  has  come; 
the  altruistic  spirit  stirs;  the  day  of  deep  thoughtfulness 
and  inquiry  is  at  hand;  leadership  and  service  are  words 
to  conjure  with;  they  are  ready  for  wider  range  of  interests 
and  study,  and  they  desire  to  manage  their  own  organi- 
zations. 

We  are  slow  to  learn  the  strength  of  these  later  adoles- 
cent years.  The  Young  Men's  Christian  Association 
and  the  leaders  in  the  Secondary  Division  work  of  the 
Sunday  school  unite  in  telling  us  that  we  can  have  as  many 
younger  boys  in  the  schools  as  we  have  older  boy  teachers. 
The  senior  girl  will  often  be  the  teacher  of  the  younger 
girls  and  the  senior  boy  the  leader  of  the  lads  in  the  future, 
and  we  had  better  prepare  for  it.  They  are  not  the  most 
sldllful  teachers  in  handling  a  lesson,  but  they  are  close  to 
the  week-day  life,  the  zest  and  joy  of  the  earlier  teens; 
they  can  appeal  to  the  boy  and  girl  and  win  the  heart 
because  they  still  know  the  secrets  of  youth.  They  have 
not  the  wisdom  of  the  years,  but  they  possess  the  magic 

258 


THE  TEACHER-TRAINING  CLASS 

words  by  which  they  can  enter  where  older  feet  are  seldom 
allowed  to  tread.  Such  work  of  young  teachers  must  be 
under  careful  supervision  and  guidance,  but  it  must  be 
provided  for  if  we  are  to  save  our  schools  from  the  fearful 
waste  and  loss  we  have  suffered  in  the  years  after  fourteen. 

The  Home  School  the  Best  Training  School. — If  such 
delicate  and  difficult  tasks  are  to  be  the  work  of  the  young 
teachers,  then  we  must  begin  to  train  them  early.  The 
Sunday  school  itself  is  the  best  elementary  training  school. 
Students  in  a  class  in  the  school  are  in  touch  with  all  its 
activities.  They  are  in  the  atmosphere  of  work  and  see 
its  problems  before  their  eyes.  They  can  give  time  more 
readily  and  regularly  than  at  a  week-day  hour,  and  they 
feel  that  the  work  is  not  separate  and  peculiar,  but  is  an 
advanced  course  of  study  belonging  to  the  school  itself. 

The  youth  is  always  looking  far  away.  The  lure  of 
work  and  college,  the  distant  city  and  far-off  fields  are 
in  his  thoughts.  If  we  do  not  begin  the  training  for  ser- 
vice at  home,  it  will  seldom  be  taken  up  later.  But  if 
young  people  are  committed  to  definite  Christian  activity, 
if  they  are  in  training  for  some  work  which  they  feel  fitted 
to  do,  then  they  are  far  more  likely  to  pursue  a  course  of 
study  or  take  up  active  work  in  new  surroundings. 

Sometimes  our  faithful  teachers  in  the  country  and 
smaller  towns  complain  that  it  avails  little  to  organize 
and  train,  because  their  students  are  lost  in  such  numbers 
to  the  home  church.  But  on  second  thought  they  count 
it  a  joy  to  contribute  workers  and  leaders  to  the  kingdom 
afar  off,  and  to  safeguard  the  life  of  the  ambitious  young 
people  who  go  forth  by  binding  them  early  to  definite  and 
congenial  tasks. 

259 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

A  great  number  of  the  strongest  men  and  women  in  the 
churches  to-day  are  only  carrying  out  the  plans  they  began 
early  in  some  humble  church.  If  the  visions  and  day- 
dreams of  youth  have  not  the  far-off  fields  of  heroic  Chris- 
tian service  in  view,  there  will  be  few  years  of  mature 
devotion  to  great  and  unselfish  work. 

Choice  of  Students. — There  should  be  a  careful  selection 
of  students  for  the  class.  It  is  not  the  duty  of  every  bright 
pupil  to  be  a  teacher.  The  choice  should  be  made  by  the 
officers  of  the  school,  the  pastor  or  the  committee  on  edu- 
cation. There  must  be  a  true  unity  of  spirit  in  this  or 
the  work  will  fail.  Often  the  class  spirit  runs  so  high, 
or  the  devotion  of  the  teacher  is  so  great,  that  the  members 
refuse  to  leave  an  interesting  class,  and  the  teachers  object 
to  their  leaving  for  the  training-class  work. 

Genuine,  thorough  work  for  the  upbuilding  of  the  school 
will  soon  establish  a  loftier  standard.  In  order  to  secure 
this  the  training  class  should  be  given  such  honor  in 
the  school  that  invitation  or  election  to  its  ranks  will  be 
truly  held  as  a  promotion.  An  army  in  which  none 
aspired  to  be  officers  would  lack  all  pride  and  spirit  of 
victory. 

Personal  Appeal. — The  official  choice  of  students  should 
be  followed  by  direct  and  personal  appeal.  The  value 
of  the  study,  the  nature  of  the  work  expected,  the  confi- 
dence of  the  church  and  the  opportunity  for  usefulness 
should  be  made  plain  to  them.  The  obligation  of  loyalty 
to  the  church  and  its  Master  will  be  the  true  motive,  and 
this  will  seldom  fail  to  win  the  consent  of  those  who  have 
already  placed  Christ  in  the  center  of  their  hearts. 

260 


THE  TEACHER-TRAINING  CLASS 

The  Course  of  Study. — The  course  chosen  must  be 
adapted  to  the  attainments  and  needs  of  the  class.  With 
classes  of  young  pupils  the  simple  outline  courses  will 
form  the  best  beginning.  With  more  advanced  students 
a  careful  choice  of  text  and  reference  reading  should  be 
made.  No  hard-and-fast  rule  should  be  followed  in  the 
beginning  with  such  workers.  The  Bible  study  may  be 
the  most  interesting  and  of  first  importance,  or  their 
interest  in  child  nature  or  methods  of  teaching  or  organi- 
zation may  come  first,  and  be  followed  by  the  Bible  study 
later.  The  life  of  Christ  may  appeal  to  them  above 
everything  else,  and  they  can  enter  upon  their  work  by 
getting  first  into  the  very  heart  of  the  Bible  and  attacking 
afterwards  the  historical  outlines  of  the  Old  Testament 
characters  and  messages.  In  voluntary  work  it  is  not 
always  wise,  or  even  possible,  to  follow  the  rules,  but  a 
fresh  and  eager  preference  by  the  students  will  go  a  long 
way  in  winning  their  interest  and  committing  them  to  the 
work  of  a  full  course. 


261 


IX 

ORGANIZATION  AND   ENROLLMENT 

A  Working  Method. — ^When  a  sufficient  number  have 
agreed  to  join  the  class,  then  organize.  Six,  eight  or  ten 
form  a  fine  study  class;  a  larger  number  will  have  more 
enthusiasm  and  enjoy  greater  variety  in  the  work.  Let 
the  class  elect  president,  vice  president,  secretary  and 
treasurer,  in  addition  to  the  teacher.  Thus  they  will  be 
enabled  to  say  "our  class" — a  very  great  thing  gained. 
Let  the  class  appoint  committees  on  program.  A  com- 
mittee on  membership  should  assist  in  securing  new  mem- 
bers and  encourage  them  in  the  beginning  of  their  work. 
Secure  for  the  classroom  a  curtained  corner,  or  some  place 
where  the  members  may  be  by  themselves. 

Then  let  them  have  some  months  of  uninterrupted 
study.  Do  not  draw  any  away  to  do  supply  teaching. 
Let  these  young  people  have  their  chance  to  work,  but  do 
not  forget  them.  Keep  them  close  to  the  heart  of  the 
church.  Let  the  class  be  known  in  the  Sunday  school  by 
frequent  recognition  in  the  opening  program;  let  it  be 
known  from  the  pulpit  and  in  the  church  bulletin.  Keep 
the  mind  of  the  whole  church  alive  to  the  fact  that  a 
training  class,  seeking  higher  skill  in  the  teaching  of  the 
Bible,  is  at  work  every  week. 

After  full  organization,  and  at  the  end  of  a  month's  work 
— ^when  the  list  of  members  is  complete  and  the  new  class 
has  settled  to  its  work — then  the  enrollment  with  denomi- 

262 


THE  TEACHER-TRAINING  CLASS 

national  or  state  secretary  is  very  important,  since  the 
class  should  look  forward  to  a  full  course  and  complete 
examinations.  A  diploma,  given  upon  completion  of  such 
examinations  by  the  denomination  or  the  International 
Association,  is  the  recognition  of  the  long  and  well-spent 
effort. 

Beginning  Work. — ^The  books  approved  by  the  various 
churches  for  the  First  Standard  Course  are  books  of  out- 
lines. They  are  clear  and  simple  and  give  a  basis  for  work. 
Such  a  course  can  be  made  a  valuable  foundation  in  the 
hands  of  a  teacher  and  an  earnest,  studious  class. 

There  should  be  frequent  reviews,  written  tests  and 
some  drills  in  the  important  outlines;  this  will  lead  the 
student  to  master  the  contents  of  the  book  readily.  But 
the  memory  method  by  itself  comes  far  short  of  the  best 
results.  Information  is  gained,  but  it  takes  far  more 
than  a  group  of  facts,  however  well  organized,  to  make  a 
teacher.  The  habit  of  study  is,  after  all,  the  most  valuable 
fruit  of  this  work — so  many  teachers  have  been  accustomed 
to  trifle  and  delay  in  preparation.  A  regular  and  conscien- 
tious method  is  the  foundation  for  success  in  Sunday-school 
teaching  as  a  life  work. 

Enriching  the  Course. — ^There  are  a  number  of  ways  by 
which  this  course  may  be  enriched : 

1,  By  Bible  Study. — ^The  reading  and  study  of  the  Bible 
itself  should  be  a  part  of  the  work  faithfully  carried  for- 
ward. It  is  possible  to  study  about  the  Bible  and  not 
become  a  student  of  the  Bible  itself.  No  one  can  be  a 
true  Bible  teacher  who  is  not  a  constant  reader  and  a  real 
student  of  its  pages. 

263 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

2.  By  Reference  Reading. — The  workers'  library  of  the 
Sunday  school,  and  often  the  town  or  city  library,  can  be 
used  for  reference.  A  few  books  should  be  at  the  command 
of  every  class.  The  reading  should  be  assigned  by  the 
teacher,  who  should  always  give  chapter  and  page.  A 
short  report  in  writing  or  a  verbal  report  should  be  made 
on  important  subjects.  The  assignment  can  be  made 
according  to  the  interest  of  the  students.  The  teacher 
should  be  careful  to  ask  for  a  report  and  see  that  the  refer- 
ence reading  is  actually  done. 

3.  By  Encouraging  and  Directing  Observation  by  the 
Students. — They  should  keep  eyes  and  ears  open,  and  study 
the  characteristics  of  children  and  older  boys  and  girls. 
The  play  life  and  the  week-day  activities  of  the  different 
ages  can  be  studied  and  discussed  in  the  class.  Some 
students  will  be  interested  most  in  the  young  child,  some 
in  the  older  child,  some  in  those  of  the  ''teen"  years.  All 
should  bring  the  result  of  their  quickened  observation  to 
the  class. 

4..  By  Story4elling. — The  fine  art  of  story-telling  should 
be  cultivated  by  the  teachers.  The  elementary  teachers 
are  called  especially  to  be  expert  story-tellers.  To  come 
to  see  vividly  with  the  mind's  eye,  to  describe  with  short, 
swift  words  leading  to  a  climax,  is  a  part  of  the  crafts- 
manship of  the  true  teacher  for  all  ages.  Practice  in  the 
selection  and  adaptation  of  stories  may  be  made  one  of 
the  most  delightful  and  helpful  features  of  the  training 
class. 

6,  By  Observation  of  Good  Teaching. — ^The  students 
should  be  permitted  in  time  to  visit  classes  in  the  different 
departments  and  in  different  schools.  They  should  make 
careful  notes,  and  on  the  following  Sunday  discuss  the 

264 


THE  TEACHER-TRAINING  CLASS 

characteristics  of  the  pupils  and  special  points  of  interest 
in  the  teaching. 

6.  By  Practice  Teaching. — At  the  end  of  the  course 
some  teaching  may  be  done  by  students  under  teachers 
of  experience,  or  as  supply  teachers.  But  the  students 
should  make  careful  report  to  the  class,  telling  the  diffi- 
culties, the  age  and  the  characteristics  of  the  pupils,  the 
questions  asked,  the  stories  told,  the  aim  of  the  lesson 
and  the  result  of  the  lesson  expected  in  life  of  pupils. 

7.  By  the  Graded  Lessons. — These  should  be  used  as 
illustrating  the  fitting  lessons  for  each  age,  and  in  the 
method  of  presentation  by  the  teacher.  They  should 
be  kept  at  hand  for  reference  constantly;  the  introduc- 
tions and  forewords  of  the  books  for  the  different  years 
are  of  especial  value.  Familiarity  with  the  graded  system 
is  one  of  the  essential  qualifications  for  every  young 
teacher. 


265 


THE   CLASS  OF  TEACHERS 

Advanced  Work. — The  second  demand,  after  the  pro- 
spective teachers  have  been  provided  for,  is  training  for 
the  teachers  already  at  work.  They  are  busy  folks,  inter- 
ested in  many  important  matters  and  carrying  other  work 
for  the  church,  but  a  large  number  of  them  will  give  time 
for  preparation  and  class  work  if  only  it  be  made  worth 
while. 

The  mistake  has  often  been  made  in  presenting  work 
that  was  too  elementary  in  treatment.  The  alert  teachers 
of  experience  are  ready  for  more  advanced  books.  They 
must  be  challenged  to  think;  they  want  wider  range  of 
information,  but  they  especially  desire  concrete  and  ac- 
curate directions  in  methods  of  teaching  and  management. 
They  are  facing  the  hard  problems  of  the  school.  They 
hear  much  of  the  movements  in  the  Sunday-school  work 
and  they  want  the  best.  The  appeal  to  a  higher  sense 
of  duty  and  the  noble  pride  in  successful  work  will  avail 
far  more  than  a  promise  to  make  the  studies  short  and  easy. 

The  Time. — ^The  time  question  is  always  the  first  one  to 
answer,  and  there  is  but  one  solution:  consecration  of  a 
definite  portion  of  time  to  teaching,  and  preparation  for 
teaching  must  be  made.  There  must  be  an  offering  of 
time  as  unto  God — a  sacred  tithe  of  one's  energy,  an  invest- 
ment of  influence  set  aside  for  his  use.  Men  and  women 
who  have  stores,  shops,  farms,  offices,  homes  and  many 

266 


THE  TEACHER-TRAINING  CLASS 

demands  of  time  and  strength  are  to-day  punctual  and 
well-prepared  students  in  hundreds  of  classes. 

It  is  not  a  question  of  leisure  at  all,  but  of  the  estimate 
in  which  the  teacher's  calling  is  held.  Whenever  the  true 
dignity  and  high  calling  of  the  teacher  of  religion  comes 
home  to  the  heart,  then  the  time  is  found.  If  the  cost  be 
great,  the  element  of  sacrifice  will  lift  it  above  the  trifling 
and  commonplace. 

The  Teacher. — Many  of  the  classes  are  taught  by  pas- 
tors. Some  pastors  hold  it  a  privilege  to  teach  either  a 
class  of  young  students  in  preparation  or  a  group  of  teach- 
ers already  enlisted.  Such  work  keeps  the  pastor  close 
to  the  life  problems  of  people  and  it  gives  to  the  preacher 
a  view  of  the  religious  needs  of  childhood  and  youth  that 
is  priceless  for  the  pulpit.  This  is  true  only  in  case  the 
pastor  is  an  open-minded  student  of  child  nature,  is  willing 
to  lead  discussions,  to  read  books,  be  a  student  of  the 
Sunday-school  problems  and  restrain  the  preaching  habit 
in  the  class.  Teachers  of  the  public  schools,  high  schools 
and  colleges,  trained  in  normal  methods,  are  rendering 
a  great  service  to  the  Sunday  school  and  its  teachers, 
and  many  more  stand  ready  to  answer  the  call  when  the 
study  is  lifted  to  a  standard  that  commands  their  respect 
and  demands  their  skill. 

The  Advanced  Course. — Advanced  courses  of  study 
have  been  published  by  the  leading  denominations,  and 
these  courses  have  been  approved  by  the  Committee  on 
Education  of  the  International  Association.  The  mini- 
mum time  is  two  years,  unless  the  work  be  taken  in  an 
institution  of  learning,  and  each  of  these  courses  is  out- 

267 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

lined  as  a  three-year  course  of  study.  Many  of  the  books 
of  these  courses  are  the  product  of  scholarship  in  Bible 
study,  and  all  are  expositions  of  the  best  methods  of 
modern  education. 

Works  of  such  character  can  best  be  taken  up  by  or- 
ganization of  study  groups  and  selection  of  a  teacher 
fitted  to  the  particular  subject.  For  instance,  in  these 
courses  one  of  the  books  that  meets  favor  with  educa- 
tors is  "The  Pupil  and  the  Teacher"  by  Professor  Weigle. 
Select  a  book  like  this  for  six  months'  study.  Secure  the 
attendance,  by  personal  solicitation,  of  as  large  a  number 
of  teachers  as  possible.  Do  not  wait  for  all;  even  a  small 
group  may  do  fine  work.  Then  find  a  teacher  whose 
first  interest  and  information  is  the  psychology  of  child- 
hood and  adolescence,  and  spend  three  months  at  least 
on  "The  Pupil."  If  an  examination  is  desired,  a  sectional 
certificate  will  be  given,  with  credit  toward  advanced 
diploma.  Perhaps  another  teacher  should  be  chosen 
for  the  next  section — the  study  of  "The  Teacher."  For 
the  Bible  study  another  teacher  may  be  found  who  Is  the 
best  leader  for  Old  Testament  or  New  Testament. 

The  Committee  on  Education  of  the  local  church  should 
supervise  and  encourage  an  advanced  class,  as  some 
guidance  and  organization  are  essential  to  maintain  the 
interest  and  to  care  for  details  of  work  week  by  week. 
In  a  large  class  organization  on  the  adult  class  plan  will 
be  the  most  effective. 

The  Class  at  Work. — 1,  Reference  Reading. — ^This 
should  be  done  with  a  far  wider  range  of  books  than  in  a 
class  of  younger  students.  Each  member  of  the  class 
should  be  provided  with  a  notebook,  and  should  be  en- 

268 


THE  TEACHER-TRAINING  CLASS 

couraged  to  buy  a  few  books  for  himself,  only,  however,  on 
careful  selection.  Report  of  pages  and  chapters  read  as 
assigned  by  the  teacher  should  be  made  in  the  reader's 
own  words,  and  discussion  should  be  encouraged. 

2,  Short  Theme  Writing. — ^This  should  be  a  regular 
part  of  the  work.  With  reference  reading  and  discussion 
this  will  not  be  difficult,  as  there  will  soon  appear  many 
living  topics  upon  which  the  class  is  forming  its  own 
opinions. 

3.  Teaching  How  to  Study. — ^The  waste  of  time  in 
fruitless  study  must  be  considered.  Aim  to  get  to  the 
heart  of  a  book,  and  express  it  in  a  few  paragraphs.  Let 
the  teacher  in  assigning  the  lesson  give  a  preview,  and  indi- 
cate what  is  the  central  thought  and  suggest  what  is  to  be 
expected  from  the  lesson.  He  can  thus  economize  time 
of  students  and  focus  the  attention  on  important  points. 
Let  the  teacher  urge  definite  allotment  of  time  for  work. 
Study  how  to  use  a  Bible  dictionary;  learn  the  use  of  maps 
and  stereoscopes.  A  direct  object  in  view  is  the  best 
incentive  to  study.  A  wealth  of  material  from  books 
and  observation  will  be  brought  into  the  class  when 
the  subject  is  a  live  one  to  its  members,  and  they  are 
guided  in  research  and  called  upon  for  expression  and 
reports. 

4..  The  Topical  Method. — Pass  from  questions  to  the 
topical  method.  This  cannot  be  done  at  first,  but  after 
a  time,  when  the  members  of  the  class  learn  to  express 
themselves  and  grow  in  confidence,  they  will  delight  in 
taking  up  themes  and  putting  the  ideas  in  their  own 
language. 

S.  Study  of  Their  Own  Teaching.— The  class  should  be 
given  a  report  form  with  blanks  for  study  of  their  own 

269 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

classes,  and  should  make  a  report  to  the  training  class 
for  discussion.  This  should  include  some  description 
of  age,  numbers  and  characteristics  of  pupils,  lesson  taught, 
plan  of  lesson  by  teacher,  method  of  securing  attention, 
some  questions  asked,  some  of  the  difficulties,  stories  told, 
aim  of  teaching  and  result. 

6.  Story-telling  and  Character  Study. — ^Five  to  eight 
minutes  may  be  used  frequently  for  story-telling,  but 
no  story  should  be  offered  to  the  class  without  careful 
preparation  by  the  teller.  The  analysis  and  description 
of  characters  selected  from  the  Bible,  Christian  history 
and  the  heroes  of  Christian  service  to-day  will  be  found 
an  attraction  for  the  training  of  leaders  of  classes  of  all 
ages.  Story-telling  is  an  art  that  demands  practice  and 
needs  criticism  and  guidance. 

7.  Reports. — Reports  on  classes  and  schools  visited  for 
observation  should  be  given,  with  suggestions  of  best 
ideas  gained.  Conventions,  institutes,  schools  of  methods 
attended  by  members  should  be  reported  from  notebooks 
for  fresh  suggestions. 

8.  General  Suggestions. — ^The  following  suggestions,  from 
Professor  George  A.  Coe,  if  carefully  followed  will  prove 
invaluable  to  the  class: 

(a)  Let  every  meeting  be  a  religious  meeting.  Open 
with  prayer.  Appeal  constantly  to  religious  motives,  to 
the  end  that  consecration  may  grow  deeper  as  well  as  more 
intelligent.  Aim  to  awaken  ambition  to  be  a  skillful 
worker  in  the  church. 

(b)  Always  discuss  the  reports.  You  must  be  attentive 
and  responsive  to  your  class  as  well  as  the  class  to  you. 

(c)  Always  call  for  quotations,  or  points,  from  the 
reading. 

270 


THE  TEACHER-TRAINING  CLASS 

(d)  Secure  discussion  of  everything.  See  that  every 
member  answers  questions. 

(e)  Begin  and  close  on  time.  Don't  dawdle.  Plan 
each  meeting  so  that  the  work  will  be  done  by  the  end  of 
the  hour  without  hurry. 

9,  Adaptation. — Adapt  yourself  and  the  lessons  to  your 
class  at  any  cost.  Leave  out,  insert,  modify  wherever 
necessary.  Don't  attempt  to  make  too  many  points  in 
a  lesson  hour,  but  make  your  central  point  stand  out. 
Don't  be  ashamed  to  say  "I  don't  know." 


271 


'  XI 

THE   CITY  TRAINING  SCHOOL 

Specialization. — Much  of  the  study  in  the  classes  con- 
nected with  the  local  churches  will  be  devoted  to  the 
general  questions  that  are  common  to  all  Sunday-school 
teachers  and  Bible  students.  It  is  difficult  to  plan  for 
special  studies  because  the  teachers  of  the  different  ages 
are  all  together,  or  else  the  group  is  a  small  one  chosen 
from  one  department  and  the  other  departments  are  not 
interested.  Often  the  class  is  made  up  entirely  of  girls 
and  the  study  is  devoted  entirely  to  the  primary  pupils, 
and  the  result  is  a  one-sided  development  of  the  school. 
The  Elementary  Division  is  charged  with  enthusiasm  and 
teachers  are  using  the  best  lessons  and  bringing  the  fruits 
of  the  study  of  new  books,  careful  plans,  and  training-class 
methods  to  their  classes.  But  often  there  is  no  like  skill  or 
organization  for  the  years  beyond.  The  older  boys  have 
not  been  enlisted  for  teaching,  the  younger  men  have 
not  been  in  training  for  officers  and  leaders,  and  the  falling 
away  after  the  junior  years  is  watched  in  helpless  despair 
because  no  teachers  and  leaders  have  been  provided  for 
classes  above  the  elementary  years. 

There  can  be  some  training  of  specialists  in  a  class  of 
new  recruits,  but  it  can  only  be  of  a  suggestive  nature; 
there  is  little  time  for  careful  attention  to  one  problem 
of  teaching  when  all  are  present.  Now  the  day  has  come 
for  setting  aside  teachers  according  to  their  talents,  and 
training  them  to  do  the  one  thing  they  can  best  do. 

272 


THE  TEACHER-TRAINING  CLASS 

The  local  church  does  not  have  the  members  or  teachers 
for  such  division  of  activities.  How  shall  the  work  be 
done? 

The  Aim. — ^This  is  a  night  school  of  religion  for  the 
study  of  Sunday-school  problems  and  methods  of  increas- 
ing its  efficiency  by  teaching  and  better  organization.  Its 
primary  object  is  to  train  leaders  and  open  classes  for  spe- 
cial departments  and  grades  for  more  thorough  study  than 
can  be  followed  in  the  classes  of  a  single  church. 

Organization.— The  school,  or  institute,  is  usually  or- 
ganized by  calling  together  representatives  of  as  many 
churches  as  are  willing  to  cooperate  in  the  betterment  of 
the  Sunday  school  by  careful  education  in  modern  methods. 
The  Ministers'  Union,  The  City  Sunday-school  Associa- 
tion or  The  Superintendents'  Union,  The  Young  Men's 
Christian  Association,  the  Young  Women's  Christian 
Association  and  kindred  organizations  are  asked  to  unite 
in  improving  and  sustaining  the  city  school. 

A  Council  formed  from  representatives  of  each  church 
meets  once  a  quarter  to  determine  the  general  policy, 
elect  a  principal,  who  shall  have  charge  of  the  school,  and 
a  small  Executive  Committee.  This  committee  chooses 
the  corps  of  teachers;  the  principal  directs  the  working  of 
the  school  week  by  week. 

The  School  at  Work. — ^More  than  a  score  of  such  train- 
ing schools  were  working  successfully  in  1913.  By  the 
end  of  the  year  this  type  of  school  had  passed  beyond 
the  experimental  stage,  and  proved  itself  a  practical 
solution  of  the  difficult  problem  of  lifting  and  maintaining 

273 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

the  standards  of  graded  and  departmental  Sunday-school 
instruction. 

A  central  church,  or  suitable  building,  is  chosen  for  the 
regular  meeting  place.  Two  periods  of  forty-five  minutes 
each,  for  one  evening  a  week,  during  at  least  thirty  weeks 
of  the  year,  is  the  plan  usually  adopted. 

The  teachers  are  found  in  the  pubHc  schools  and  col- 
leges, and  among  the  ministers  and  other  studious  and 
successful  religious  leaders  of  the  city.  There  is  seldom 
difficulty  in  securing  a  faculty  with  scholarship  and  teach- 
ing skill.  The  choice  of  necessity  must  be  made  with 
great  care.  Only  teachers  able  to  sustain  interest  and 
offer  a  superior  type  of  lesson  can  keep  the  attendance  of 
their  classes,  as  the  members  are  present  to  secure  some 
information  of  a  special  sort,  or,  even  more,  to  discover 
better  methods  in  teaching  and  receive  training  in  them. 
They  will  not  attend  regularly  unless  the  teaching  is 
thorough,  practical  and  well  adapted,  unless  they  them- 
selves are  made  students  and  working  partners  in  the 
class. 

The  First  Hour. — ^The  first  period  of  forty-five  minutes 
should  be  a  general  assembly  hour.  It  should  be  opened 
with  a  moment  of  worship,  the  faculty  being  seated  in  a 
group  on  the  platform.  The  period  may  be  devoted  to  a 
section  of  Bible  study — ^historical  outlines,  character 
study  or  messages  of  the  books — or  to  the  problems  of 
Sunday-school  organization,  gradation,  management,  etc., 
or  the  study  of  child  nature  and  the  methods  of  teaching. 
Or,  again,  there  may  be  textbook  study  presented  by  some 
teacher  of  abihty,  with  outline  method  and  use  of  note- 
books. 

274 


THE  TEACHER-TRAINING  CLASS 

The  value  of  this  hour  is  in  fellowship.  There  should 
be  a  strong  bond  of  unity  among  the  Sunday-school 
workers,  a  high  sense  of  comradeship  and  joy  in  the  com- 
mon work.  This  truly  professional  spirit  can  only  come 
by  intimate  acquaintance  given  by  frequent  meeting  with 
the  great  common  aim  in  view.  A  survey  of  the  com- 
munity problems  from  the  standpoint  of  the  Sunday 
school  can  be  made  inspiring  and  effective  in  such  an  hour. 
The  members  of  this  unified  company,  joined  in  prayer 
and  song,  see  Protestant  childhood  and  youth  of  the  city 
as  their  field  of  service,  and  the  magnitude  and  difficulty 
of  the  task  before  them  unites  them  in  one  company  and 
binds  them  together  as  soldiers  on  a  common  battle  field. 

The  Second  Hour. — The  classes  should  meet  in  separate 
classrooms.  A  carefully  chosen  teacher  should  be  in 
charge  of  each  class.  Time — forty-five  minutes.  There 
should  be  a  moment  of  worship  in  each  class. 

The  classes  should  be  divided  as  follows  whenever  the 
enrollment  is  large  enough: 

Elementary 

Teachers  of  Beginners  Classes. 
Teachers  of  Primary  Classes. 
Teachers  of  Junior  Classes. 


Secondary 


Adult 


Teachers  of  Boys'  Classes. 
Teachers  of  Girls'  Classes. 
Teachers  of  Senior  Classes. 

Teachers  of  Men's  Classes. 
Teachers  of  Women's  Classes. 
275 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

There  should  be  also  a  coaching  class  for  teachers  of 
training  classes,  a  class  in  methods  of  missionary  instruc- 
tion and  a  class  in  methods  of  temperance  instruction. 

Bible  study  in  Old  and  New  Testaments. 

Each  class  should  use  a  textbook  with  reference  reading. 
There  should  be  discussions  of  reports  and  theme  writing. 
The  books  for  text  and  reference  work  should  be  of  the 
more  thorough  and  accurate  type — the  best  that  can  be 
found  for  each  department. 

Two  or  Three  Terms. — ^The  work  may  be  divided  into 
three  terms  to  good  advantage — twelve  weeks  in  the  fall, 
ten  weeks  in  winter  and  ten  in  spring,  or  it  may  be 
divided  into  two  terms,  beginning  in  October  and  com- 
pleting first  term  in  midwinter,  with  a  vacation  time  at 
Christmas.  There  may  be  a  reorganization  at  the  be- 
ginning of  the  second  term,  and  the  work  may  be  com- 
pleted with  some  public  exercise  in  the  late  spring.  This 
would  allow  change  of  texts  and  subjects,  and  would  give 
time  for  recruiting  classes  and  winning  new  students. 

The  number  of  classes  can  be  graduated  according  to  the 
enrollment.  In  some  of  the  cities  the  enrollment  has  been 
two  hundred  and  more,  and  there  have  been  twelve  and 
fourteen  classes  busy  at  work  during  the  second  period; 
in  other  cities,  with  smaller  enrollment,  only  four  or  five 
classes  can  be  organized  to  advantage.  The  large  num- 
bers are  a  splendid  encouragement  and  give  strength  and 
an  inspiriting  evidence  of  success,  but  smaller  numbers 
may  work  with  equal  thoroughness  and  efiiciency. 

This  plan  for  giving  system  and  common  strength  to  the 
work  of  religious  education  is  not  for  the  large  city  alone; 
the  smaller  city  or  town  may  use  this  method  with  the 

276 


THE  TEACHER-TRAINING  CLASS 

same  profit;  in  fact,  the  larger  city  is  the  more  difficult 
field.  But  the  smaller  city  and  the  towns  carry  out  their 
work  with  equal  value,  if  only  the  leadership  and  unity  of 
spirit  are  available.  Fifty  who  will  enroll  with  a  pledge 
of  fidelity  in  their  hearts  can  give  their  own  schools  a 
higher  educational  rating  and  their  own  lives  the  joy 
that  comes  from  a  new  vision  in  successful  labor  for  the 
kingdom.  The  fresh  impulse  from  new  books,  counsel 
and  study  with  fellow  workers  will  give  a  zest  to  many  a 
tired  teacher  and  new  courage  to  many  a  lagging  leader. 

A  Businesslike  Method. — The  plans  for  such  a  city 
school  or  institute  should  be  laid  long  in  advance.  Some 
weeks  should  be  devoted  to  the  selection  of  teachers,  the 
enrollment  of  students,  the  awakening  of  interest  and  the 
completion  of  organization. 

The  enrollment  can  best  be  secured  by  personal  appeal. 
The  few  who  are  leaders  can  find  some  one  in  each  of  the 
different  Sunday  schools  who  will  secure  names  of  teachers 
and  officers  in  his  own  school.  A  diligent  preliminary 
survey  and  canvass  insure  a  solid  and  reliable  working 
organization. 

A  large  measure  of  the  success  or  failure  rests  in  the 
choice  of  a  principal.  With  a  leader  of  commanding  en- 
thusiasm and  wide  vision,  a  noble  contribution  may  be 
made  to  the  Sunday-school  life  of  any  city. 


277 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 


X 

THE  HOME  DEPARTMENT 

BT 

E.  MORRIS  FERGUSSON,  D.D. 


279 


THE  HOME  DEPARTMENT 


I 

WHAT  THE   HOME   DEPARTMENT  IS 

Definition. — The  Home  Department  is  a  department  of 
the  Sunday  school  which  seeks  to  enroll  those  who  feel 
unable  to  attend  regularly,  and  yet  are  willing  to  study 
the  lessons  and  have  a  part  in  the  membership  and  work 
of  the  school. 

Aim. — It  aims  to  extend  the  regular  study  of  God's  Word 
and  the  Christian  fellowship  of  the  Sunday  school,  church 
and  congregation.  It  furnishes  the  pastor  and  the  parish 
with  a  corps  of  helpers  called  visitors,  who  visit  the  Home 
Department  members  at  least  once  a  quarter  under  the 
direction  of  a  Home  Department  superintendent. 

Results. — ^Through  this  simple  enrollment,  visitation 
and  Bible  study,  with  occasional  special  gatherings  and 
invitations,  many  members  of  church  families  take  up 
or  resume  regular  Bible  study,  to  their  great  personal 
profit.  Many  families  and  individuals,  also,  who  pre- 
viously were  outside  of  church  influences,  are  interested 
and  ultimately  secured  as  regular  attendants  upon  the 
pulpit  and  school  services  of  the  church.  Children  be- 
come more  regular  in  attendance  upon  the  Sunday  school 
and  know   their  lessons   better  through  their  parents* 

281 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

greater  interest  in  their  lesson  work.  Cases  of  spiritual 
and  material  destitution  are  found  and  reported.  The 
aged  and  the  "shut-in"  greatly  appreciate  the  church's 
attention  and  the  privilege  of  fellowship  in  Bible  study. 
The  whole  church  membership,  so  far  as  not  in  attend- 
ance upon  the  Sunday  school,  may  be  thus  enrolled,  and 
will  be  the  better  for  a  definite  line  of  Bible  work. 

The  Home  Department  is  a  valuable  feeder  to  the  main 
Sunday  school.  The  fear  sometimes  expressed  that  some 
will  take  the  easy,  stay-at-home  method  of  discharging 
their  Sunday-school  obligations  provided  by  the  depart- 
ment is  not  realized  in  experience,  but  rather  the  contrary. 
Abundant  testimony  can  be  furnished  on  this  point  by 
anyone  familiar  with  the  Home  Department  in  its  practical 
workings.  People  go  where  they  are  interested;  and  those 
previously  indifferent  frequently  become  so  interested  in 
the  lessons  as  to  leave  the  Home  Department  to  become 
members  of  some  class  in  the  school.  Teachers  and  other 
workers  are  sometimes  secured  in  this  way.  One  super- 
intendent realized  how  well  the  department  in  her  charge 
was  doing  its  work  when  an  examination  of  the  roll  showed 
that  all  but  two  of  the  members  had  become  attendants 
of  the  main  school.  Superintendents  and  visitors  find 
that  they  must  be  continually  active  if  they  would  supply 
the  places  of  those  who  leave  in  this  way. 

Who  Can  Do  It. — As  the  work  of  both  the  superin- 
tendent and  the  visitors  is  done  outside  of  the  Sun- 
day-school hour,  and  is  yet  closely  connected  therewith, 
there  is  nothing  to  prevent  teachers  and  other  active 
workers  from  taking  up  Home  Department  work  in  ad- 
dition to  their  present  duties.      Indeed,  many  teachers 

282 


THE  HOME  DEPARTMENT 

of  large  classes  find  that  the  charge  of  a  group  of  mem- 
bers, including  some  of  the  parents  of  their  own  pupils, 
adds  little  to  their  present  duties,  and  is  rather  a  help 
than  a  burden.  On  the  other  hand,  in  most  large  fields, 
and  even  in  some  small  ones,  there  are  willing,  capa- 
ble and  consecrated  workers  quietly  waiting  for  some 
one  to  discover  their  capabilities  and  intrust  them  with 
responsibility.  The  Home  Department  service  is  ad- 
mirably fitted  for  bringing  out  these  silent  ones;  and 
hundreds  who  a  few  years  ago  had  nothing  to  do  in  the 
Church  are  now  actively  and  helpfully  at  work  as  Home 
Department  superintendents  and  visitors. 

What  the  Work  Is  Like. — The  work  to  be  done  is  simple 
enough.  Each  member  is  given  a  lesson  quarterly  and 
a  record  envelope,  on  which  he  marks  each  week  the  fact 
that  he  has  studied  the  lesson  for  at  least  half  an  hour, 
and  in  which  he  places  such  contribution  as  he  would 
make  if  attending  Sunday  school.  At  the  end  of  the  cal- 
endar quarter  the  visitors  call  upon  the  members  in  their 
respective  groups  or  districts,  receive  their  envelopes,  give 
out  the  new  envelopes  and  lesson  quarterlies,  learn  of  their 
welfare  and  interest  in  the  work,  and  report  the  result  of 
their  visitation  to  the  Home  Department  superintendent. 
The  individual  visitor  may  add  to  this  outHne  whatever 
friendly  and  Christian  neighborliness  is  in  her  heart; 
may  use  the  quarter's  Bible  lessons  as  a  leading  topic  with 
which  to  open  up  a  conversation  on  spiritual  things;  and 
will  always  report  to  the  pastor  any  fact  that  he  should 
know. 

The  outfit  for  the  work  includes  a  supply  of  circulars, 
record  envelopes,  report  blanks,  etc.,  with  Home  De- 

283 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

partment  lesson  quarterlies  enough  to  supply  all  the  pro- 
spective members.  This  involves  an  outlay  at  the  start 
of  two  or  three  dollars  for  a  field  of  moderate  size.  With 
the  close  of  the  first  quarter  the  members'  quarterly  con- 
tributions begin  to  come  in,  and  the  almost  universal 
experience  is  that  the  receipts  more  than  cover  all  ex- 
penses. It  is  hard  to  convince  the  people  in  most  com- 
munities that  the  whole  thing  is  not  another  scheme  to 
raise  money;  and  so  the  visitors  are  generally  instructed 
to  emphasize  the  fact  that  offerings  are  purely  voluntary, 
and  only  such  as  the  member  would  give  as  a  matter  of 
course  if  he  were  present  in  the  Sunday  school.  Yet 
even  so,  most  churches  find  that  a  well-managed  Home 
Department,  instead  of  being  an  expense,  is  a  steady  and 
substantial  source  of  revenue. 

The  work  has  received  the  hearty  indorsement  of  the 
leading  denominations.  It  is  all  strictly  local,  under  the 
oversight  of  the  pastor  and  the  church  authorities,  is 
equally  necessary  in  city  and  country  fields  and  has  been 
abundantly  blessed  whenever  faithfully  tried. 

Begin  Now. — It  is  easy  at  the  outset  to  organize  a 
force  to  begin  the  work;  and  the  value  and  helpfulness 
are  so  obvious,  and  the  joys  of  service  are  so  many,  that 
little  trouble  is  found  in  maintaining  and  enlarging  the 
department  when  once  begun. 


284 


II 

HOW  TO  BEGIN 

Most  Home  Departments  start  with  the  enthusiasm 
and  enterprise  of  one  person.  If  you,  reader,  are  ready, 
with  God's  help,  to  be  that  person,  then  the  first  thing 
for  you  to  do  is  to  learn  about  the  Home  Department  and 
to  familiarize  yourself  with  the  pieces  of  printed  matter 
which  experience  has  shown  to  be  necessary  to  good  and 
permanent  work. 

What  Supplies  Are  Needed. — Procure  a  set  of  samples 
of  Home  Department  Hterature.  The  principal  printed 
tools  are  the  lesson  quarterly,  the  record  envelope,  the 
visitor's  record,  the  visitor's  quarterly  report  and  the 
superintendent's  record  book.  The  envelope  has  spaces 
for  marking  the  member's  weekly  lesson  study,  visits  to 
Sunday  school  and  contributions.  The  visitor's  record 
provides  space  for  a  list  of  the  names  and  addresses  of  the 
visitor's  so-called  "class"  or  group  of  members,  with 
columns  for  a  year's  record  of  the  work,  by  quarters. 

Other  supplies  frequently  used  are :  a  circular  describing 
the  Home  Department,  the  duties  of  members,  etc.,  for 
distribution  in  church  and  by  the  visitors;  a  pledge  card, 
to  secure  the  member's  pledge  to  study  the  lesson  for  not 
less  than  one-half  hour  a  week;  a  certificate  of  membership 
or  recognition  card,  to  be  given  the  new  member  upon  en- 

285 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

roUment  (occasionally  useful  in  large  departments);  a 
blank  form  for  the  Home  Department  superintendent's 
quarterly  report  to  the  Sunday  school;  a  book  or  blank 
in  which  to  record  the  results  of  the  canvass  for  new  mem- 
bers; a  credential,  button  or  badge  for  the  Home  Depart- 
ment messenger. 

Starting. — With  the  literature  before  you  showing  the 
plan  of  work,  sit  down  and  realize  to  yourself  the  necessity 
for  doing  such  work  as  this  in  your  field.  Consider,  not 
what  your  Sunday  school  and  church  are  doing  already, 
but  what  they  are  leaving  undone.  Think  not  of  the 
difficulties  to  be  encountered  in  starting  a  new  work  in  a 
field  where  the  laborers  are  too  few  for  the  work  already 
undertaken,  but  rather  of  what  the  Lord  has  helped  you 
and  others  to  do  in  the  past,  under  circumstances  similarly 
discouraging.  Recall  the  many  reports  and  testimonials 
that  have  been  printed  from  schools  Hke  yours  that  have 
tried  the  work  and  been  blest  therein.  Pray  for  the  needs 
in  your  field.  If  somebody's  heart  does  not  burn,  your 
Home  Department  will  not  amount  to  much,  even  if  you 
go  through  the  form  of  starting  it. 

Talk  over  the  movement  with  pastor  and  superintendent 
and  with  a  few  of  your  friends.  Arouse  interest,  pass 
around  your  information,  explain  details  of  operation, 
meet  objections,  secure  promises  of  cooperation. 

Now  have  the  superintendent  or  the  pastor  bring  the 
matter  before  a  meeting  of  the  session  or  the  board  chosen 
to  look  after  the  work  of  the  Sunday  school.  Present  the 
plan  in  its  general  purpose  and  its  details,  exhibit  the  sam- 
ple literature  and  secure  a  vote  approving  the  plan  and 
providing  for  carrying  it  into  operation. 

286 


THE  HOME  DEPARTMENT 

Getting  Under  Way. — Different  Sunday  schools  will 
find  different  ways  of  going  to  work.  Sometimes  the  way 
will  be  clear  to  elect  the  Home  Department  superintendent 
at  once,  with  authority  to  order  lesson  quarterlies  and 
printed  matter,  and  to  appoint  and  send  out  the  visitors 
on  the  preliminary  canvass.  Sometimes  it  is  best  for  the 
meeting  to  appoint  a  committee  on  organization,  made 
up  of  those  who  will  prove  good  workers  when  the  organiza- 
tion is  complete.  This  committee  should  study  the  litera- 
ture and  the  field,  prepare  a  Hst  of  families  and  individuals 
to  be  invited  to  join  the  department  and  make  up  an  esti- 
mate of  the  printed  supplies  necessary,  if  these  have  not 
already  been  ordered.  Action  should  not  be  delayed 
merely  for  the  sake  of  conforming  to  somebody's  method 
of  organization;  nor,  on  the  other  hand,  should  the  work 
go  forward  too  fast  to  permit  of  the  enlisting  and  educating 
of  the  necessary  helpers. 

The  defect  of  much  that  is  called  Home  Department 
organization  has  come  just  here.  Some  one  faithful 
worker  understands  the  plan  so  well  and  is  so  willing  to 
work  that  the  rest  are  only  too  glad  to  appoint  him  or  her 
(generally  her),  and  give  her  full  authority  to  go  ahead 
and  do  everything.  The  result  is  that  the  work  done  is 
good  as  far  as  it  goes,  but  does  not  go  farther  or  last  longer 
than  the  work  of  that  one;  and  it  becomes  less  easy  each 
quarter  to  divide  the  field  among  various  hands.  The 
time  to  avoid  this  mistake  is  at  the  beginning. 

In  some  fields,  especially  where  there  is  a  hesitancy 
about  organizing  for  fear  no  members  will  be  secured,  the 
leaflets  and  envelopes  may  be  distributed  in  Sunday  school, 
the  work  explained  and  the  pupils  asked  to  urge  their 
parents  to  join.    The  prompt  response  usually  secured  by 

287 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

this  method  reassures  the  doubting  leaders,  makes  it  neces- 
sary to  do  something  at  once  and  furnishes  a  good  start 
for  the  work  of  the  preHminary  canvass;  and  this  much 
may  be  done  with  no  organization  at  all. 

The  order  for  supplies  should  be  sent  in  as  soon  as 
authority  is  granted  to  form  the  department,  in  order  that, 
as  soon  as  the  visitors  are  appointed,  the  work  may  be 
ready  for  them. 

Canvassing  for  Members. — ^The  first  work  after  choos- 
ing the  superintendent  is  to  secure  capable  visitors  for 
the  preliminary  canvass.  These  should  be  chosen  with 
care,  as  one  or  two  injudicious  canvassers  might  easily 
spoil  the  whole  plan.  The  next  step  is  to  secure  as  mem- 
bers of  the  Home  Department  persons  not  now  mem- 
bers of  the  Sunday  school,  who  will  agree  to  study  the 
Sunday-school  lesson  for  at  least  half  an  hour  a  week, 
keeping  a  record  of  their  lesson  study  upon  the  envelope 
to  be  provided  and  making  such  contribution  as  they  feel 
disposed  to  make  as  members  of  the  Sunday  school. 

In  order  that  the  canvass  may  be  systematic  and  com- 
plete, a  Hst  should  be  prepared  of  all  persons  in  the  com- 
munity who  may  properly  be  invited  to  join.  This  list 
can  best  be  prepared  by  a  committee  of  those  who  know  the 
field,  including  the  superintendent,  the  pastor  and  the 
newly  appointed  Home  Department  superintendent. 
Where  necessary,  the  roll  of  the  Sunday  school  and  of  the 
church  should  be  carefully  gone  over,  especially  the  pri- 
mary roll.  The  list  should  begin  with  the  church  oflScers 
and  members  not  in  the  Sunday  school,  and  should  in- 
clude the  regular  and  occasional  attendants  at  church, 
the  non-church-going  parents  of  Sunday-school  children, 

288 


THE  HOME  DEPARTMENT 

invalids,  those  employed  by  institutions,  railroads  and 
other  companies  whose  requirements  interfere  with  church 
duties,  and  absent  members  on  the  church  roll. 

Call  the  visitors  together  and  divide  up  this  list  In  the 
most  effective  way.  Sometimes  it  is  best  to  divide  the 
parish  at  the  start  into  districts,  giving  each  district  to  one 
canvasser.  But  there  are  always  people  who  are  better 
reached  by  some  than  by  others;  and  it  is  generally  best, 
if  district  lines  are  drawn  at  all  at  this  time,  to  follow  them 
loosely,  assigning  a  name  rather  to  the  one  best  qualified 
to  secure  that  person's  consent  to  join.  The  need  of  well- 
defined  districts  will  come  later  in  the  work,  when  watch 
must  be  kept  over  the  field,  and  when  the  convenience 
of  the  visitor  in  calling  must  be  considered. 

The  canvassers  must  be  supported  by  a  vigorous  cam- 
paign of  advertising,  so  that  the  people  may  learn  some- 
thing about  the  work  and  be  ready,  when  the  visitor  calls, 
to  learn  more.  Let  the  pastor  preach  on  the  duty  of 
Bible  study,  explaining  briefly  the  new  movement  in  the 
congregation,  and  urging  all  not  connected  with  the 
Sunday  school  to  join.  Let  the  Sunday-school  superin- 
tendent explain  the  work  and  ask  the  pupils  to  invite  their 
parents  to  join.  It  may  be  well  to  distribute  circulars 
in  the  pews  or  at  the  church  door,  where  many  brief  but 
valuable  interviews  can  be  secured.  A  paragraph  or  two 
in  the  local  paper  may  not  come  amiss.  The  real  work  of 
securing  members,  however,  is  generally  done  through 
personal  visits  to  the  homes;  and  frequently  two  or  three 
visits  are  necessary  to  find  the  person  at  home,  overcome 
objections  and  secure  the  member's  name.  This  is  a  con- 
dition of  the  canvass,  and  should  be  agreed  to  by  those 
who  take  the  names. 

289 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

As  the  directions  on  the  printed  helps  generally  state, 
the  visitor  is  to  go  armed  with  a  supply  of  record  envelopes 
and  lesson  quarterlies,  possibly  also  with  certificates  of 
membership,  invitation  or  recognition  cards  or  other 
literature  used;  and  as  soon  as  a  member  is  secured,  he 
should  be  supplied  with  the  means  for  beginning  work 
at  once.  The  names  and  addresses  of  all  members  thus 
secured,  with  remarks,  should  be  turned  over  in  writing 
to  the  Home  Department  superintendent.  This  completes 
the  preliminary  canvass. 


290 


Ill 

THE  WORK  OF  EACH  QUARTER 

Forming  the  Groups. — The  preHminary  canvass  to 
secure  members  of  the  Home  Department  is  a  fine  test  of 
the  staying  quahty  of  the  visitors  and  of  their  capacity 
for  the  work.  Some  who  confidently  asked  for  a  long  list 
of  names  to  canvass  will  come  back  with  a  surprisingly 
large  proportion  of  refusals,  or  with  only  part  of  the  list 
visited;  while  in  other  cases  every  name  will  be  secured 
and  the  canvasser  will  ask  for  more. 

The  superintendent  having  received  the  entire  list  of 
new  members,  should  then  proceed  to  form  them  into 
groups,  frequently  but  misleadingly  called  "classes." 
Each  group  should  be  carefully  adapted  to  the  capacity 
and  convenience  of  the  visitor  who  is  to  care  for  it.  As 
far  as  possible,  especially  in  the  country,  the  parish  should 
be  divided  into  territorial  districts;  but  this  districting 
should  be  strictly  subordinate  to  the  wise  grouping  of  the 
names,  and  it  is  generally  best  not  to  advertise  it,  lest 
exceptions  and  transfers  should  give  rise  to  talk.  If  every 
member  knows  who  his  visitor  is,  and  every  visitor  has  his 
list  of  members,  the  superintendent  can  alter  his  plan  of 
districts  at  will.  Absent  members,  to  be  reached  by  cor- 
respondence, are  sometimes  grouped  together  under  a 
"correspondence  visitor";  sometimes  given  to  those  visitors 
who  know  them  best. 

The  good  superintendent  will  always  be  on  the  lookout 
for  material  for  new  visitors,  and  will  be  preparing  a  fresh 
group  of  members,  old  and  new,  to  be  assigned  to  the  next 

291 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

new  visitor  secured.  One  or  more  capable  substitutes, 
also,  will  be  needed  every  quarter  in  large  departments 
to  canvass  the  groups  belonging  to  sick  or  absent  visitors. 
Groups  should  vary  greatly  in  size;  some  visitors  have 
all  they  can  do  to  take  care  of  five  or  six  members,  while 
others  seem  able  to  handle  twenty  or  even  thirty  satis- 
factorily. Large  groups,  however,  should  not  be  made  at 
the  outset,  as  the  groups  of  the  more  efficient  visitors  will 
tend  to  increase  in  size.  From  six  to  twelve  members 
to  a  visitor  is  a  good  range.  The  visitor  with  a  conveyance 
at  command  will,  of  course,  take  the  more  distant  homes. 

The  Quarterly  Supplies. — As  the  last  Sunday  of  the 
quarter  draws  near  the  superintendent  should  see  that  the 
Home  Department  lesson  quarterlies  for  the  coming  quar- 
ter are  secured  by  the  school  secretary  and  placed  in  his 
hands  for  distribution;  also  that  his  supply  of  envelopes 
and  other  necessaries  is  sufficient  for  the  quarter's  needs. 
Publishers  try  to  fill  promptly  the  eleventh-hour  orders 
that  come  in  on  Saturdays  just  at  noon;  but  it  does  not  pay 
to  take  such  chances.  Buy  in  quantity,  and  keep  an 
ample  stock  on  hand. 

To  meet  the  constant  complaint  of  visitors  that  the 
members  lose  their  envelopes,  a  plan  used  in  many  large 
departments  is  for  the  superintendent  to  paste  the  envelope 
into  the  quarterly,  tipping  the  end  opposite  the  flap  so 
that  it  can  readily  be  torn  loose  when  called  for  by  the 
visitor.  This  also  adds  to  the  convenience  of  the  visitor 
in  distributing  her  supplies.  It  is  hardly  safe  to  leave 
this  pasting  to  the  visitors;  some  will  attend  to  it,  others 
will  not. 

Every  envelope  before  being  given  out  should  have 
292 


THE  HOME  DEPARTMENT 

written  upon  it  by  the  visitor  the  member's  name,  the 
year  and  quarter,  the  visitor's  name  (and  address,  if 
needed)  and  the  name  of  the  Sunday  school.  The  latter 
may  be  placed  on  the  whole  supply  of  envelopes  with  a 
rubber  stamp,  thus  saving  much  labor  to  the  visitors. 

Sending  Out  the  Visitors. — The  supplies  being  in  hand 
and  in  condition  for  distribution,  the  superintendent, 
before  making  up  the  visitors'  bundles,  should  next  go 
carefully  over  his  alphabetical  roll  of  members,  and  also 
over  his  roll  of  members  by  groups,  to  see  what  items  of 
information  need  to  be  supplied  and  what  personal  mes- 
sages the  visitor  should  be  asked  to  carry.  These  should 
be  noted  on  slips  of  paper,  so  that  each  visitor  may  have, 
with  her  supplies,  exact  instructions  as  to  her  special 
duties.  If  the  pastor  and  Sunday-school  superintendent 
have  any  plans  on  foot  for  anniversaries  or  special  meetings 
during  the  coming  quarter  to  which  it  is  desirable  to  invite 
the  Home  Department  members,  such  invitations  may  be 
conveniently  sent  out  through  the  visitors  at  this  time. 
Personal,  face-to-face  invitations,  indeed,  are  so  much 
more  effective  than  written  ones,  to  say  nothing  of  the 
pulpit  notices  sometimes  relied  on,  that  it  is  well  worth 
while  to  fix  the  time  of  such  gatherings  with  reference  to 
their  being  announced  by  the  visitors  on  their  rounds. 

On  Sunday  or  Monday  of  the  last  week  in  the  calendar 
quarter  a  meeting  of  the  visitors  should  be  called  for  some 
convenient  hour  and  place,  at  which  the  superintendent 
may  give  out  the  bundles  of  supplies,  each  with  its  slip 
of  personal  instructions,  and  may  supplement  these  in- 
structions with  verbal  conference.  The  visitor's  bundle 
will  include  quarterlies  and  envelopes  for  all  her  members, 

293 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

a  blank  for  the  visitor's  quarterly  report,  and,  at  the  be- 
ginning of  the  year,  a  visitor's  book  or  card  with  the  revised 
list  of  members  belonging  to  that  group  written  in.  This 
quarterly  meeting  is  also  a  convenient  time  to  discuss 
plans  for  the  work  of  the  department,  and  to  inspire  the 
visitors  with  fresh  courage,  higher  ideals  and  renewed 
dependence  upon  the  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  The 
pastor  should  be  invited;  and  if  he  realizes  the  extent  to 
which  these  visitors  can  help  him  in  his  parochial  work, 
he  will  seldom  fail  to  be  there,  whether  himself  a  visitor 
or  not. 

'  The  visitors  then  start  out  upon  their  visitation.  It 
is  important  that  this  be  completed  within  the  week; 
otherwise  some  members  will  not  have  their  quarterlies 
in  time  for  the  study  of  the  first  Sunday's  lesson.  It  is 
also  important  that  real  visits  be  paid.  Interviews  and 
messages  may  perhaps  suffice  occasionally  and  in  an  emer- 
gency; but  the  friendly,  Christian  visit  is  part  of  the  work, 
and  is  usually  highly  prized,  especially  by  the  shut-in 
members.  "I  live  all  the  time  in  anticipation  of  the  next 
hour  with  my  Home  Department  visitor,  and  for  weeks 
after  that  hour  I  think  of  what  has  been  said  to  me," 
is  the  appreciative  message  of  one  member  who  is  so 
crippled  by  rheumatism  that  she  cannot  leave  her  chair. 
And  there  are  thousands  like  her. 

As  soon  as  the  last  member's  envelope  has  been  secured, 
the  visitor  is  ready  to  make  her  quarterly  report,  having 
first  entered  on  her  *  Visitor's  card"  or  in  her  "visitor's 
book"  the  record  of  each  member  for  the  quarter. 

The  Visitor's  Report. — ^The  visitor's  quarterly  report 
must  always  be  in  writing.     No  department  can  be  sys- 

294 


THE  HOME  DEPARTMENT 

tematically  and  effectively  run  where  this  is  not  insisted  on. 
The  report  should  include  the  names  of  members  in  the 
group,  names  and  addresses  of  new  members  secured  and 
a  statement  opposite  each  name  of  the  number  of  lessons 
studied,  times  present  (if  at  all)  in  Sunday  school,  amount 
of  contribution  and  date  of  the  visitor's  visit,  or  the  fact, 
indicated  by  a  check  mark,  that  such  visit  was  duly  paid. 
All  other  items  of  interest,  as  the  reason  for  withdrawal 
or  non-study  of  lessons,  change  of  address,  transfer  to 
main  school,  with  class  joined,  etc.,  should  be  fully  stated. 
These  things  should  be  reported  verbally  to  the  superin- 
tendent, as  he  may  want  to  ask  questions;  and  if  the  report 
is  also  filed  in  writing,  it  will  be  there  to  refresh  his  memory 
when  the  time  comes  to  act  on  the  information  secured. 
The  report  should  be  rendered  promptly,  that  is,  within 
two  weeks  from  the  beginning  of  the  quarterly  visitation. 
Careful  superintendents,  who  desire  to  deal  with  every 
member  as  an  individual,  will  insist  on  the  visitor's  return- 
ing the  envelopes  with  the  quarterly  report.  The  marks 
on  these  tell  many  things  not  shown  by  the  quarterly 
tabulation,  and  the  superintendent  should  scrutinize 
them  whenever  there  is  either  faultiness  or  ground  for 
question  in  the  records  of  visitor  or  member.  They  need 
not,  however,  be  preserved  after  the  quarterly  count  is 
made  up;  nor  is  there  any  rule,  other  than  convenience, 
as  to  whether  or  not  they  shall  be  returned  unopened. 

The  Member's  Report.— Much  diflSculty  is  often  found 
in  inducing  some  of  the  members  to  keep  their  weekly 
record  and  to  have  the  envelope  ready  for  the  visitor's 
call.  Patience,  tact  and  careful  explanation  of  the  need 
for  full  records  will  sooner  or  later  bring  most  of  the  care- 

295 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

less  members  into  line.  Where  the  faulty  record  or  the 
visitor's  report  seems  to  indicate  that  the  member  thinks 
he  can  atone  for  neglect  of  Bible  study  by  a  good  and 
regular  contribution,  he  should  be  first  warned  and  then 
dropped.  The  Home  Department  must  faithfully  per- 
form its  own  work,  make  good  its  pubhshed  terms  of  mem- 
bership and  avoid  any  trespass  upon  the  field  of  other 
church  agencies.  It  cannot  do  this  if  it  consents  to  be  a 
mere  collector  of  contributions. 

One  successful  Home  Department  worker  has  met  the 
difficulty  of  non-reporting  members  by  the  use  of  a  small 
pink  slip,^  which  she  attaches  to  the  new  quarterly  to  be 
given  to  the  member  whose  report  for  the  previous  quarter 
was  not  secured.  The  slip  conveys  a  simple  and  courteous 
request  from  the  department  superintendent  for  a  complete 
report,  to  be  ready  each  quarter  when  the  visitor  calls. 
This  gentle  rebuke  is  taken  good-naturedly,  and  usually 
effects  its  purpose. 

The  Messenger  Service.— In  many  departments  it  has 
been  found  helpful  to  have  a  corps  of  messenger  boys, 
appointed  from  the  regular  attendants  at  Sunday  school, 
who  assist  the  visitors  in  communicating  with  their  mem- 
bers between  the  quarterly  visits.  A  messenger  should 
never  be  sent,  however,  as  a  substitute  for  the  visitor's 
periodical  calls.  It  has  been  found  that  judicious  use  of 
the  boys  in  this  way  has  helped  to  develop  their  manliness 
and  readiness  to  serve,  so  that  in  later  years  they  become 
invaluable  workers  in  church  and  Sunday  school. 

It  should  be  such  a  difficult  matter  to  secure  an  appoint- 

1  These  slips  will  be  furnished  by  the  Westminster  Press  free  of 

charge. 

296 


THE  HOME  DEPARTMENT 

ment  as  messenger  that  the  boys  will  apply  for  the  post, 
instead  of  waiting  to  be  begged  to  serve.  The  use  of  a 
badge  or  button  and  the  adoption  and  enforcement  of  a 
simple  code  of  regulations  will  be  found  helpful.  Desire 
to  be  appointed  to  such  an  honorable  position  has  led  some 
boys  to  give  up  bad  habits.  In  one  school  the  messenger 
service  is  made  attractive  by  the  reading  out  on  Rally  Day 
of  the  names  of  those  who  have  done  satisfactory  work 
during  the  year,  with  a  statement  of  the  work  done. 
Then  the  boys  are  asked  to  stand  while  the  superintendent 
speaks  a  few  sentences  of  appreciation. 

In  many  instances  visitors  have  found  the  messengers 
most  helpful — sometimes  in  unexpected  ways.  Mrs. 
Flora  V.  Stebbins,  in  "The  Home  Department  of  To-day," 
has  told  of  a  visitor  who  was  eager  to  get  a  certain  influen- 
tial man  as  a  member,  but  feared  to  ask  him.  Then,  to  her 
surprise,  her  messenger — ^to  whom  she  had  never  spoken 
of  her  desire — told  her  that  the  man  would  like  to  join  the 
department.  The  diplomatic  way  in  which  his  applica- 
tion was  secured  was  learned  by  inquiry.  The  sequel 
was  that  the  new  member  became  a  careful  Bible  student 
and  died  a  Christian  man.  For  this  change  in  his  life  he 
thanked  the  messenger  who  had  led  him  into  the  Home 
Department. 


297 


IV 

BUILDING   UP  THE   MEMBERSHIP 

Keep  Your  Promise.— In  canvassing  for  Home  Depart- 
ment members,  the  Sunday  school  makes  a  definite  pledge 
that  the  person  joining  will  be  treated  as  a  member  of  the 
school  and  invited  to  all  special  occasions.  It  is  the  duty 
of  the  Home  Department  superintendent  to  see  that  this 
pledge  is  not  forgotten  by  the  superintendent  and  the 
school. 

At  Christmas,  Easter,  Children's  Day,  the  annual  picnic 
or  excursion  and  all  other  special  times  the  plans  should 
include  an  invitation  to  the  Home  Department  members 
and  provision  for  seating,  welcoming  and  interesting  those 
who  attend.  Pulpit  and  desk  notices  may  be  given,  but 
should  not  be  depended  upon.  A  notice  by  mail  or  mes- 
senger, or  a  personal  invitation  by  the  visitor,  must  be 
sent  to  each  member  if  all  are  to  be  reached ;  and  the  extra 
trouble  is  well  worth  taking,  as  it  assures  the  members 
that  the  church's  interest  in  them  is  more  than  a  matter 
of  form.  If  candy,  ice  cream  or  other  substantial  favors 
are  to  be  dispensed,  the  Home  Department  members 
should  receive  their  share. 

Socials. — Socials  for  the  members  are  held  by  many 
progressive  departments.  They  help  the  members  to 
realize  how  many  others  are  studying  with  them  each 
w^eek,  and  tend  to  bring  members  and  visitors  into  closer 
relation.    For  the  same  reason  the  roll  of  members  should, 

298 


THE  HOME  DEPARTMENT 

in  a  large  department,  be  printed  and  circulated  once  a 
year. 

In  planning  a  Home  Department  social,  a  worker  of 
experience  offers  this  advice:  "By  all  means  make  the 
meeting  an  exclusive  occasion  for  members  of  the  Home 
Department  only;  otherwise  it  loses  its  value  as  a  favor 
extended  to  them.  Have  a  bright  and  interesting  pro- 
gram, with  a  brief  address  by  the  pastor,  not  longer 
than  ten  minutes.  This  limit  should  also  apply  to  any 
other  addresses.  After  the  brief  formal  exercises,  have  a 
social  hour  and  serve  light  refreshments,  which  may  be  in 
the  name  of  the  visitors.  The  social  should  be  held  early 
in  the  quarter,  so  that  the  visitors  may  carry  the  invita- 
tions with  them  on  their  rounds." 

The  company  that  is  usually  drawn  together  by  these 
invitations  is  not  easy  to  handle  socially.  Compared  with 
the  visitors'  hopes,  the  attendance  will  seem  small,  and 
the  ice  will  be  hard  to  break.  No  pains  should  be  spared, 
therefore,  to  make  the  meeting  place  especially  cozy, 
chatty  and  unconventional.  The  members  may  be  met 
at  the  door,  not  merely  with  a  greeting,  but  with  some  de- 
vice like  a  numbered  question  to  which  must  be  found  the 
numbered  answer,  compelling  the  newcomer  to  move 
around  and  get  acquainted.  The  program  throughout 
should  be  full,  bright  and  varied.  The  leaders  of  the 
Sunday  school  should  be  invited  and  urged  to  attend. 

New  Members.— The  law  that  things  that  stand  still 
go  backward  applies  to  the  Home  Department.  The 
superintendent  must  never  relax  the  effort  for  new  mem- 
bers. As  soon  as  each  quarterly  visitation  is  over  and  the 
quarterly  report  complete,  a  quiet  effort  for  new  members 

299 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

should  begin.  The  pastor,  the  primary  teacher  and  all 
others  who  visit  in  the  church's  field  should  be  working 
in  the  interest  of  the  Home  Department.  The  visitors, 
of  course,  will  lose  no  opportunity  to  pick  up  and  report  a 
new  member.  Special  efforts  may  be  made  from  time  to 
time,  such  as  a  house-to-house  canvass  of  the  field,  a  call 
on  the  Sunday-school  teachers  for  lists  of  the  parents 
represented  in  their  classes  or  the  sending  of  an  envoy  to 
the  fire  company,  the  police  station  or  the  car  barn.  If 
a  hospital  or  other  institution  is  in  the  vicinity,  the 
nurses  and  attendants  should  be  looked  after.  No  year 
should  pass  without  at  least  one  concerted  and  definite 
movement  all  along  the  line  for  new  Home  Department 
members. 

Absent  Church  Members. — Absent  members  on  the 
church  roll  are  a  serious  problem  to  the  conscientious 
pastor,  especially  in  a  church  that  ministers  to  a  moving 
population  like  that  of  a  manufacturing  or  a  railroad  town. 
People  move  away,  and  then  insist  on  retaining  their 
membership  in  the  old  church,  regardless  of  the  rules  which 
most  if  not  all  denominations  have  made  as  to  loss  of  stand- 
ing through  absence.  The  Home  Department  plan  gives 
the  pastor,  or  a  correspondence  visitor  duly  appointed, 
an  excellent  reason  for  writing  to  such  people  and  re- 
questing them  to  become  studying,  reporting  and  con- 
tributing members  of  the  Home  Department.  If  they 
will  not  do  this,  they  cannot  reasonably  complain  at  being 
dropped  from  the  church  roll;  if  they  do,  the  church  regu- 
larly hears  from  them  and  receives  their  gifts;  and  the 
study  of  the  uniform  Bible  lessons  arouses  fresh  interest 
in  the  services  of  the  church  nearest  them,  and  usually 

300 


THE  HOME  DEPARTMENT 

leads  to  a  call  for  their  letters  and  a  transfer  of  member- 
ship. Or,  if  the  absence  is  temporary,  as  of  a  young  man 
away  at  study  or  in  a  position,  the  quarterly  letter  from 
the  visitor  asking  for  a  report  insures  the  keeping  up  of 
connection  with  his  old  church  and  school.  Some  de- 
partments tell  of  soldier  members  in  the  Philippines  and 
other  distant  stations,  whose  Sunday-school  connection 
and  duties  are  a  potent  force  to  keep  them  true  amid 
hardships  and  temptations. 

Foreigners. — ^The  rapid  increase  in  immigration  makes 
it  more  needful  than  ever  that  we  should  care  spiritually 
for  the  stranger  within  our  gates.  Few  American  fields 
to-day  are  without  some  families  who  speak  and  read  a 
foreign  tongue.  Although  many  of  these  are  Roman 
Catholic,  this  need  not  be  assumed  in  advance;  and  even 
so,  the  Christian  visitor,  with  a  smile,  an  invitation  and  a 
Bible  lesson  help  and  magazine  in  the  old  famiHar  tongue, 
will  seldom  fail  of  a  courteous  welcome;  while  among  the 
school  children  an  interpreter,  if  needed,  can  readily  be 
found.  The  enterprising  department  will  reconnoiter 
its  field  to  ascertain  the  extent  and  character  of  its  foreign- 
reading  population,  and  will  then  seek  to  supply  itself  with 
lesson  literature  in  the  language  called  for,  charging  the 
first  expense  to  its  missionary  work.  The  secretary  of 
the  state  or  provincial  Sunday-school  association  can  usu- 
ally ascertain  from  international  headquarters  where 
any  required  foreign  literature  can  be  procured.  When 
these  people  have  once  been  enlisted  as  friends,  they  will 
want  to  pay  for  all  that  is  given  them;  but  the  call  to  con- 
tribute should  be  suppressed  with  more  than  usual  care 
during  the  canvass. 

301 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

Newcomers. — One  advantage  of  having  the  field  dis- 
tricted is  in  the  'lookout"  work  that  the  visitors  can 
thus  do  in  finding  and  promptly  calling  upon  new  fam- 
ilies moving  in.  Until  these  are  known  to  be  of  an- 
other church  connection,  any  church  covering  that  field 
may  and  should  seek  to  take  them  under  its  care.  In 
some  city  fields  this  work  is  done  with  system  and  exact- 
ness; monthly  or  even  weekly  reports  are  made,  and  card 
indexes  are  kept  that  show  the  church  relationship  of 
every  family  within  the  bounds  of  the  parish.  If  this 
work  is  needed,  the  Home  Department  organization  can 
readily  be  expanded  to  cover  it,  either  alone  or  in  con- 
junction with  other  churches. 

The  Record. — ^The  superintendent's  record  is  an  im- 
portant factor  in  that  steady  pushing  of  the  work  without 
which  it  will  surely  become  an  old  story  and  begin  to  de- 
cline. Neither  the  memory  nor  a  mere  file  of  report  blanks 
will  suffice  as  a  basis  of  information.  The  superintendent 
should  have  a  carefully  prepared  record  book,  arranged 
to  receive  all  the  information  that  will  or  may  afterwards 
be  needed,  and  no  more.  The  need  for  information  in 
good  shape  is  felt  (1)  when  a  report  of  the  work  is  called 
for;  (2)  when  a  group  is  to  be  transferred  to  a  new 
visitor  or  rearranged;  (3)  when  a  special  canvass  for 
new  members  is  to  be  instituted;  (4)  when  the  superin- 
tendency  is  transferred  to  another.  Every  quarter's 
visitation,  in  fact,  brings  the  need  of  a  well-kept  record 
to  refer  to. 

Several  forms  of  Home  Department  record  book  are 
on  the  market,  any  one  of  which  can  be  adapted,  more  or 
less  conveniently,  to  the  needs  of  the  ordinary  department. 

302 


THE  HOME  DEPARTMENT 

The  essential  requirements  of  such  a  book  are  that  it  shall 
provide  for  (a)  a  list  of  districts  and  visitors;  (6)  an  alpha- 
betical list  of  members,  with  residence,  date  of  joining 
and  number  of  member's  group;  (c)  a  record  of  each  group 
for  a  year,  including  the  names  of  visitor  and  members, 
and  columns  for  each  member's  quarterly  record;  (d)  sl 
set  of  summing-up  pages,  on  which  the  quarterly  totals 
of  the  several  groups  may  be  brought  together  and  footed; 
(e)  blanks  for  the  quarterly  and  annual  reports;  (J)  the 
cash  account.  The  superintendent,  or  some  friend  who 
is  a  bookkeeper,  can  with  a  little  ingenuity  and  some 
patience  rule  such  a  book  for  himself;  or  he  can  buy  one, 
of  a  size  adapted  to  his  field,  from  the  publishers  of  this 
manual. 

Progress  by  Decrease. — While  laboring  for  the  reten- 
tion and  increase  of  the  Home  Department  members,  the 
superintendent  and  visitors  will,  of  course,  never  forget 
that  the  mission  of  the  Home  Department  is  like  that  of 
John  the  Baptist.  It  must  ever  be  ready  to  decrease 
that  the  Sunday  school  proper  may  increase.  Nothing 
should  so  delight  a  visitor  as  to  be  able  to  report  that  every 
member  originally  assigned  to  her  care  has  left  the  de- 
partment by  joining  a  class  or  becoming  a  teacher  in  the 
Sunday  school.  The  superintendent  should  look  for  the 
transfer  of  one  or  more  of  these  graduates  to  the  roll  of 
the  main  school  every  quarter. 

It  is  important,  for  statistical  reasons  and  also  to  locate 
responsibility,  that  this  transfer  should  be  made  promptly 
and  according  to  some  regular  system.  No  person  should 
be  permitted  to  retain  membership  in  the  department 
and  at  the  same  time  be  carried  on  the  roll  of  a  class. 

303 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

The  Home  Department  superintendent  should  appeal  to 
the  school  superintendent  to  see  that  such  a  system  is 
instituted  and  placed  in  the  hands  of  the  school  secretary 
to  be  carried  out.  Visitors  who  are  not  at  the  same  time 
members,  teachers  or  officers  of  the  main  school  should  be 
urged  to  enroll  themselves  as  Home  Department  members 
in  their  own  groups,  studying  the  lessons  regularly  and 
reporting  to  themselves.  They  need  regular  Bible  study 
as  much  as  do  those  they  visit.  The  number  of  visitors 
not  thus  enrolled  somewhere  should  be  added  to  the 
number  of  studying  members  to  make  up  the  total  of 
Home  Department  members  reported. 

The  Income. — If  the  income  of  the  department  is  to  be 
kept  up,  the  members  must  be  kept  informed  of  the 
amounts  contributed  and  the  use  that  is  made  of  the 
money.  It  is  just  as  bad  poHcy  in  the  Home  Department 
as  in  the  main  school  to  use  the  pupils'  gifts  for  the  pur- 
chase of  lesson  helps  and  other  supplies.  No  church  need 
plead  poverty  as  an  excuse  for  not  changing  this;  for  the 
plan  that  is  better  educationally  is  also  better  financially. 
Let  the  church  agree  to  provide  all  the  needed  supplies 
for  the  Home  Department,  if  the  Home  Department  will 
take  care  of  some  specific  burden  that  has  been  laid  upon 
the  church — some  pro  rata  assessment  for  a  benevolent 
or  ecclesiastical  cause,  the  interest  or  principal  of  some 
special  debt,  or,  if  it  must  be,  some  one  item  of  church 
expense.  Then,  at  the  next  Home  Department  social, 
after  consultation  with  the  visitors,  let  these  financial 
plans  be  explained  to  the  members  and  approved  by  them. 
If  this  is  followed  up  by  a  printed  or  dupKcated  annual 
report,  giving  the  details  of  receipts  and  expenditures, 

304 


THE  HOME  DEPARTMENT 

the  revenue  of  that  department,   without  any  special 
efforts  by  the  visitors,  will  steadily  grow. 

Growing. — A  department  that  thus  persistently  re- 
fuses to  consider  itself  complete,  or  its  work  perfect,  will 
not  only  grow,  but  in  its  growing  will  be  a  continual 
blessing  to  the  Sunday  school  and  the  church  on  the  one 
hand,  and  to  the  homes  on  the  other.  And  if  its  super- 
intendent and  visitors  have  the  spirit  of  Christ,  and  are 
ready  to  "speak  a  word  in  season  to  him  that  is  weary," 
new  openings  for  spiritual  effort  will  continually  present 
themselves,  and  the  kingdom  of  heaven  in  that  place  will 
be  built  up. 


305 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 


XI 
THE  PARENTS  DEPARTMENT 

BY 

Mrs.  J.   WOODBRIDGE  BARNES 


307 


THE  PARENTS  DEPARTMENT 


INTRODUCTORY 

Historical. — The  newly  awakened  interest  in  the 
work  for  and  with  parents  has  led  to  a  new  demand 
upon  the  Sunday  school.  From  all  directions  come 
requests  for  suggestions  concerning  the  conduct  of 
mothers'  meetings,  parents'  meetings,  parents'  clubs, 
and  parents'  associations.  These  requests  indicate  not 
only  a  desire  for  information,  but  for  definite  instruc- 
tion. Some  of  the  inquiries  come  from  parents,  though 
the  majority  have  come  from  the  Sunday  school  itself. 

In  the  local  church  or  community  the  formation  and 
conduct  of  mothers'  meetings  is  not  new.  For  many 
years  churches,  either  independently  or  collectively,  in 
a  town  have  held  mothers'  meetings  and  have  done  a 
great  deal  to  win  the  cooperation  of  parents.  A  study 
of  these  mothers'  organizations  indicates  that  they  have 
been  following  the  plans  as  outlined  by  the  Maternity 
Association  of  New  England,  an  organization  which 
dates  back  just  one  hundred  years,  and  which  for  nearly 
fifty  years  exerted  a  strong  influence  throughout  the 
United  States  and  still  has  a  following  in  New  England. 
(See  also  Parents'  Organizations.) 

This  organization  grew  out  of  a  desire  on  the  part  of 
parents  to  cooperate  with  the  Sunday  school.  The 
organization  elected  its  own  officers,  conducted  its  own 

309 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

meetings,  promoted  the  work  throughout  the  country, 
and,  as  an  organization,  stood  back  of  the  Sunday  school, 
but  was  not  organically  connected  with  it. 

The  present  movement  for  the  organization  of  parents' 
departments  connected  with  the  Sunday  school  and  pro- 
viding courses  of  study  for  parents  is  new.  To  Professor 
E.  P.  St.  John  is  due  the  revival  of  interest  in  mothers' 
work,  and  the  suggestions  for  work  for  parents.  Through 
his  personal  investigation  and  study,  the  presentation  of 
the  subject  in  institutes  and  conventions,  and  the  writing 
of  his  little  book,  *^Child  Nature  and  Child  Nurture," 
he  has  stimulated  a  new  interest  and  helped  to  launch 
a  new  movement. 

In  January,  1911,  at  the  first  annual  meeting  of  the 
Sunday  School  Council  of  Evangelical  Denominations, 
action  was  taken  favoring  the  organization  of  Parents' 
Classes,  and  the  denominations  were  urged  to  encourage 
their  formation.  This  action  was  timely,  created  consider- 
able interest,  and  caused  a  number  of  religious  bodies  to 
make  investigations.  At  that  time  no  organizations  had 
taken  action  organically  for  the  promotion  of  parents' 
classes,  nor  had  courses  of  study  for  parents  been  out- 
lined by  any  of  the  denominational  bodies.  Since  then 
the  Committees  on  Curriculum  of  several  denominations 
have  made  a  start  toward  outlining  parents'  courses, 
and  other  organizations  outside  of  the  church  have  also 
been  at  work. 

Promotion  and  Relationship. — Just  what  relationship 
the  mothers'  classes,  parents'  classes,  and  various  asso- 
ciations for  parents  shall  have  to  the  organization  of  the 
local  Sunday  school  has  not  yet  been  determined.     To 

310 


THE  PARENTS  DEPARTMENT 

some  it  seems  that  as  the  work  deals  wholly  with  adults 
it  should  be  made  a  branch  of  the  Adult  Department. 
The  Home  Department  enthusiasts  feel  that  it  should 
belong  to  their  section  of  the  Sunday  school,  inasmuch 
as  it  has  dealt  very  largely  with  home  problems.  The 
elementary  workers,  knowing  that  very  largely  the  or- 
ganizations now  in  existence  relate  themselves  more 
closely  to  the  work  in  the  younger  grades,  feel  that  it 
should  be  connected  closely  with  their  own  departments. 
It  would  seem  that  because  of  the  importance  of  the 
subject  and  the  fact  that  the  work  must  relate  itself  to 
each  department  of  the  school,  it  is  worthy  of  a  department 
of  its  own.  The  future  Sunday  school,  it  is  hoped,  will 
have  parents'  classes  meeting  at  the  Sunday-school  hour 
with  their  own  study  courses,  even  though  extension 
work  of  a  different  character  is  done  in  connection  with 
the  several  departments  on  Sunday  or  during  the  week. 


311 


II 

TYPES  OF  PRESENT-DAY  ORGANIZATIONS 

Work  with  and  for  parents  has  been  conducted  under 
various  names,  but  all  the  work  has  had  similar  objects. 
The  present  organizations  might  be  classified  as  follows: 

I.  Mothers'  Associations. — ^Where  these  exist  they  are 
regularly  organized  with  officers,  with  a  simple  constitu- 
tion, and  meet  during  the  w^eek,  either  weekly  or  monthly. 
The  leader  is  more  frequently  an  experienced  mother. 
The  members  of  the  association  are  usually,  the  mothers 
of  the  pupils  of  the  elementary  grades,  but  in  many  cases 
the  membership  is  not  closely  limited  to  the  Sunday- 
school  mothers.  This  form  of  association  is  doubtless 
the  outcome  of  the  early  New  England  Maternal  Associa- 
tions. A  study  of  the  programs  shows  a  wide  range  in 
topics,  in  some  cases  amounting  almost  to  a  course  of 
study.  The  discussion  method  has  been  followed,  and 
the  social  features  have  been  made  prominent. 

II.  Neighborhood  Mothers'  Meetings. — These  are 
found  largely  in  institutional  churches,  where  the  needs 
of  the  neighborhood  are  considered,  and  where  the  topics 
must  of  necessity  be  of  a  different  type  than  if  they  w^ere 
dealing  only  with  the  problems  in  which  the  teacher  of 
the  Sunday-school  class  and  mother  are  mutually  inter- 
ested. 

312 


THE  PARENTS  DEPARTMENT 

III.  Departmental  Mothers*  Meetings. — Of  these  there 
are  several  types: 

(a)  Regularly  organized,  with  their  own  officers,  and 
meeting  during  the  week  at  regular  intervals.  The 
program  is  confined  more  largely  to  the  needs  of  the 
special  department  which  they  represent,  relating  also  to 
the  course  of  study  of  that  department.  Only  recently 
this  work  was  largely  connected  with  either  the  Beginners 
Department  or  the  Primary  Department;  it  gradually 
connected  itself  with  the  Junior  Department;  and  during 
the  last  two  years  it  has  in  many  instances  connected 
itself  with  the  intermediate  section  of  the  school. 

(6)  Not  regularly  organized,  but  called  at  irregular 
intervals  by  the  department  superintendent.  The 
program,  under  these  circumstances,  is  similar  to  that 
conducted  under  a,  though  more  frequently  the  problems 
of  the  Sunday  school  are  discussed  rather  than  those 
which  are  of  interest  in  home  life.  This  type  of  mothers' 
meetings,  like  those  under  a,  will  be  found  associated 
with  the  several  departments  of  the  school. 

IV.  Parents'  Meetings. — Like  the  Departmental 
Mothers'  Meetings,  these  meetings  for  parents  have  in 
some  cases  been  organized,  though  they  are  few  in  num- 
ber compared  with  the  number  of  Parents'  Meetings  called 
occasionally  for  the  consideration  of  some  special  problem. 
In  the  majority  of  cases  these  Parents'  Meetings  have 
been  general  in  character,  though  the  number  called 
for  regular  meeting  in  connection  with  the  intermediate 
grades  especially  is  steadily  increasing.  There  are  some 
instances  where  the  fathers  have  been  called  separately 
to  discuss  the  boy  problem,  and  the  mothers  have  met 
to  consider  matters  relating  solely  to  girls.  The  depart- 
mental Parents'  Meeting,  however,  is  growing  in  interest. 

313 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 
V.  Parents'  Classes. — These  again  are  of  two  types: 

(a)  Meeting  either  in  connection  with  the  Sunday 
school  or  at  another  time,  having  their  own  course  of 
study,  and  being  usually  general  in  character. 

(6)  Meeting  in  connection  with  the  regular  session  of 
the  Sunday  school,  but  by  departments,  i.  e.,  the  parents 
of  the  Beginners  meet  in  connection  with  the  Beginners 
room,  and  so  on  throughout  the  grades  of  the  school. 


314 


Ill 

PROGRAMS  AND  COMMITTEES 

A  PLAN  for  each  program  is  necessary  whether  the  mem- 
bership is  small  or  large,  or  the  meetings  are  conducted 
formally  or  informally. 

The  number  of  committees  necessary  will  be  governed 
by  the  type  of  work  attempted,  the  size  of  the  member- 
ship, and  the  needs  of  the  local  church  and  community. 

The  following  standing  committees  and  the  topics  for 
discussion  presented  by  each  have  been  used.^  They  are 
adapted  for  use  even  with  a  small  membership: 

The  Sunday-School  Committee. — "Bible  stories  for 
very  little  children";  "Bringing  children  to  Christ"; 
"Making  a  life";  "What  the  Sunday  school  expects  from 
the  home";  "Importance  of  teaching  children  the  Scrip- 
tures"; "Need  of  raising  the  standard  of  those  who  are  to 
be  intrusted  with  the  care  of  little  children";  "The  rela- 
tion of  the  social  and  athletic  element  to  the  spiritual  aim 
of  the  Sunday  school";  "To  what  extent  has  the  organized 
Sunday-school  class  solved  (a)  the  boy  problem?  (6)  the 
girl  problem?"  "The  father  and  the  mother  in  the  Sun- 
day school";  "Our  children  for  Christ." 

The  Home  Committee.— "The  sacredness  of  marriage"; 
"The  sacredness  of  family  life";  "The  family  altar";  "The 
Church  and  the  family";  "The  family  pew";  "How  and 

^  By  the  Federation  of  Mothers'  Associations  in  Brooklyn,  N.  Y., 
Mrs.  Isaac  Franklin  Russell,  President. 

315 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

where  are  our  boys  and  girls  being  fitted  for  true  manhood 
and  womanhood?"  "What  the  home  expects  from  the 
Sunday  school";  "Motherless  homes";  "Children's  pray- 
ers"; "An  ideal  Christian  home:  (a)  What  is  it?  (6)  How 
make  it?  (c)  How  keep  it?"  "How  shall  Sunday  be 
observed  in  the  home?"    "Home  memories." 

The  Art  Committee. — "Need  of  the  beautiful  in  the 
home,  the  school,  and  everywhere";  "What  is  to  be  said 
for  and  against  moving-picture  shows  as  conducted  in  this 
town?"  "How  is  the  moving  picture  affecting  the  ideals  of 
family  and  home  life?"  "To  what  extent  will  activity  in 
Sunday-school  and  church  work  on  the  part  of  the  "teen- 
age" boy  and  girl  do  away  with  the  craving  for  the  excite- 
ment of  the  show?"  "What  kind  of  pictures  do  children 
like  best?"  "Music  as  an  element  of  gladness  in  the  child's 
life";  "What  are  some  of  the  best  effects  of  music  on  char- 
acter?" "How  can  the  mother  make  use  of  music  to  de- 
velop the  devotional  spirit?"  "How  may  the  practicing  of 
Church  hymns  at  home  awaken  an  interest  in  the  church 
services  on  the  part  of  the  young  people  of  the  family?" 
"Religion  in  art." 

The  Education  Committee. — "The  value  of  bringing 
children  in  touch  with  great  literature";  "Do  parents  rely 
too  much  on  the  Sunday  school  for  the  religious  training  of 
their  children  and  too  little  on  their  individual  effort?" 
"Children  as  educators  in  the  home";  "Training  a  child 
in  the  choice  of  companions";  "Unconscious  influence"; 
"Mothers'  meetings  and  their  influence":  (a)  In  the  com- 
munity; (b)  On  the  mothers  brought  into  the  meetings; 
(c)  On  the  children  and  the  home;  and  {d)  On  the  church 


THE  PARENTS  DEPARTMENT 

and  pastor;  "Should  there  be  religious  training  in  the 
public  schools?"  ''Bible  stories  and  stories  that  may  be 
used  in  Bible  schools." 

The  Hospitality  Committee. — Hospitality  means  prepa- 
ration, reception,  service,  and  kindness  for  and  to  others. 

There  are  some  mothers  and  teachers  who  would  never 
come  into  the  mothers'  meetings  or  become  members  of 
the  parent-teacher  associations  if  they  thought  they  would 
ever  have  to  read  a  paper,  help  prepare  a  program,  take 
part  in  a  discussion,  or  even  ask  a  question.  However, 
some  of  these  would  be  invaluable  on  a  social  or  a  hospital- 
ity committee.  They  would  be  glad  to  have  the  room  in 
readiness  for  the  meetings,  greet  the  members  on  their 
arrival,  and  serve  the  refreshments.  They  might  also  re- 
member the  absent  ones,  call  on  them,  or  write  to  them  be- 
fore the  next  meeting  and  report  success  or  failure. 

The  Parents'  Meeting.' — There  could  not  be  complete 
cooperation  without  the  sanction  of  the  father  in  planning 
for  what  is  best  in  the  home,  the  church,  the  school,  and 
the  training  of  children;  so  Parents'  Meetings  should  not 
be  forgotten. 

The  month  of  February  affords  a  rare,  attractive,  and 
valuable  opportunity  for  a  gathering  of  the  fathers.  The 
birthdays  of  Lincoln,  Lowell,  Longfellow,  and  Washington 
teach  lessons  of  patriotism  and  ideals. 

The  following  topics  are  suggested:  "Mothers  of  great 
men";  "Other  people's  children  and  our  duty  toward 
them";  "Parents  a  unit  in  government";  "An  evening  with 
real  men  and  women";  "Children  in  the  reformatories:  {a) 
Who  are  they?     (h)  How  came  they  there?     (c)  What  to 

317 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

do  for  them?  {d)  What  if  your  child  were  there?''  "Con- 
fidence between  children  and  parents";  "Everyday  asso- 
ciations of  boys  and  girls";  "Family  government  and  self 
government:  (a)  True  function  and  limit  of  parental  au- 
thority; (6)  If  not  corporal  punishment,  what?"  "How 
and  when  shall  newspapers  be  read?"  "The  temperance 
problem";  "Training  for  parenthood";  "The  moral  and 
spiritual  problems  of  a  great  city." 

For  other  program  suggestions  and  books  for  leaders 
see  the  Bibliography. 


318 


IV 

HOW  TO  START  THE  WORK 

Every  school  in  some  way  aims  to  secure  the  co- 
operation of  parents.  This  may  be  done  through  a 
Visiting  Committee  for  the  whole  school,  or  in  connec- 
tion with  the  different  departments  the  parents  are  kept 
in  touch  with  the  purposes  and  plans  of  the  local  school; 
they  are  interested  in  a  course  of  study,  the  quarterly 
exhibit  of  work  done  by  the  pupils,  and  the  plans  for 
securing  the  prompt  and  regular  attendance  of  pupils. 

Committee  of  Investigation. — If  the  school  desires 
not  only  the  larger  present  cooperation,  but  wishes  to 
inaugurate  a  movement  with  and  for  parents  which  will 
have  a  bearing  upon  the  future  of  the  school's  existence, 
the  matter  ought  to  be  taken  up  with  deliberation.  First 
of  all,  a  Committee  of  Investigation  should  be  appointed. 
If  the  school  is  graded  and  departmentalized  this  com- 
mittee should  consist  of  the  heads  of  the  departments, 
together  with  two  or  three  parents  who  are  not  now 
connected  with  the  school.  The  purpose  of  this  com- 
mittee should  be  to  study  the  problem  as  it  relates  to  their 
own  local  school,  and  to  decide  upon  a  definite  policy. 

Organization. — ^There  are  two  definite  types  of  organiza- 
tion from  which  to  choose:  First,  that  of  the  Parents' 
Organization,  and,  second,  that  of  the  Parents  Depart- 
ment. The  former  is  similar  to  the  public-school  organi- 
zation, and  the  latter  is  being  more  generally  considered 
in  connection  with  the  Sunday  school. 

319 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

Parents  Association. — The  Parents  Association  is  an 
organization  of  parents  not  organically  connected  with 
the  Sunday  school,  but  associated  with  it.  The  sug- 
gestions, plans,  and  arrangements  for  the  carrying  on  of 
the  work  originate  with  the  parents  themselves.  It  is 
an  association  of  parents  for  their  own  advancement 
and  for  cooperation  with  the  school.  Where  this  plan  is 
followed,  of  course,  the  superintendent  of  the  school  and 
some  of  the  oflBcers  should  be  recognized  in  the  Executive 
Committee  governing  the  Parents  Association,  in  order 
that  as  close  a  correlation  as  possible  can  be  made  between 
the  work  in  the  parents'  meeting  and  that  of  the  school. 
This  type  of  organization  presents  many  possibilities,  in 
that  the  latent  talent  of  the  congregation  has  an  oppor- 
tunity to  be  developed  and  utilized,  and  one  can  see 
that  great  progress  can  be  made  in  connection  with  the 
school  the  moment  the  consciences  of  the  parents  are 
aroused  and  the  responsibility  for  the  religious  training 
of  their  children  in  the  church  is  accepted.  Many  of  the 
most  successful  mothers'  associations  now  connected  with 
the  younger  grades  of  the  school  feel  it  is  essential  that 
the  mothers  themselves  shall  guide  Ihe  plans,  and  that 
the  best  leader  for  the  work  is  a  mother  of  experience. 

Parents  Department. — The  Parents  Department  is 
an  organization  of  parents  connected  with  the  Sunday 
school,  ranking  the  same  as  the  Adult  and  other  depart- 
ments of  a  well-organized  school.  Unlike  the  other  de- 
partments, however,  it  may  or  may  not  do  all  of  its 
work  at  a  given  hour  in  connection  with  the  Sunday 
school,  but  presents  the  possibility  of  carrying  out  its 
plans  in  a  variety  of  ways. 

320 


THE  PARENTS  DEPARTMENT 

Uniformity  of  plan  is  not  essential.  For  instance,  one 
school  might  center  its  energies  upon  work  for  parents 
within  the  lower  grades,  while  another  school  might  be 
able  to  have  some  type  of  parents'  meeting  connected 
with  each  of  the  departments  of  the  school  and  might  easily 
accomplish  the  purpose  in  one  year,  while  other  schools 
might  be  many  years  in  reaching  this,  same  end.  Again, 
another  school  might  find  it  possible  to  start  a  parents' 
class,  meeting  at  the  Sunday-school  hour,  and  pursuing 
a  definite  course  of  study.  This  course  might  be  the 
only  work  for  parents  which  they  would  be  able  to  do 
during  the  entire  winter.  Still  other  schools  in  the  same 
vicinity  might  plan  a  series  of  parents'  meetings,  meeting 
monthly  for  the  discussion  of  a  given  topic,  and  yet 
might  hold  no  separate  departmental  meetings  through 
the  entire  year.    Local  needs  determine  the  plan  adopted. 

It  is  quite  probable  that  as  the  number  of  local  Sunday 
schools  adopting  this  plan  of  work  increases,  it  will  not 
be  many  years  before  the  work  of  the  different  depart- 
ments in  the  local  churches  is  unified. 

The  First  Year  of  Organization. — ^The  Committee  of 
Investigation  will  need  to  decide  just  how  much  it  is  wise 
to  attempt  the  first  year.  If  there  is  the  nucleus  of  a 
parents'  class  for  the  Sunday  school,  let  them  proceed 
to  organize  it  and  select  a  course  of  study  or  a  book  for 
discussion.  They  must  not  be  discouraged  if  the  attend- 
ance is  small.  It  may  be  that  each  of  the  departmental 
superintendents  will  see  the  way  to  maintain  a  series  of 
meetings  for  and  with  the  parents,  or  it  may  be  wise  to 
have  just  the  mothers  of  the  pupils  in  the  younger  grades, 
and  push  the  parent  idea  in  the  upper  sections  of  the 

321 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

schools.  It  may  be  found  wiser  still  to  arrange  for  a  few 
general  meetings  of  the  parents,  say,  once  a  month.  At 
these  meetings  the  work  of  the  school  may  be  brought  to 
the  attention  of  the  parents,  and  the  reading  of  books 
may  be  encouraged. 

Seek  Cooperation. — The  local  public  library  will  be 
very  glad  to  list  books  which  can  be  brought  to  the  atten- 
tion of  the  parents.  Occasionally  the  church  calendar 
can  be  used  to  assist  in  bringing  the  names  of  these  books 
to  the  attention  of  the  congregation. 

It  will  also  be  found  possible  to  secure  the  aid  of  physi- 
cians, educators,  and  those  interested  in  the  child  welfare 
work  of  the  community  in  making  the  programs  interest- 
ing, should  it  be  decided  to  hold  but  the  monthly  meeting 
of  a  general  character.  It  will  probably  be  found  more 
difficult  to  keep  the  parents  confined  to  a  definite  course  of 
study  or  to  the  pursuit  of  some  one  book  which  may  be 
used  as  the  basis  of  discussion.  But  it  will  be  compara- 
tively easy  to  interest  the  mothers  of  young  children  in 
the  reading  of  simple  books,  or  in  the  reading  of  current 
magazine  articles  to  be  discussed  in  an  informal  manner. 

That  the  committee  may  be  prepared  to  recommend 
definite  reading  or  to  propose  a  course  of  study,  it  would 
be  well  for  them  to  select  a  certain  number  of  books  for 
reading.  As  a  means  of  arousing  interest  in  the  project, 
they  might  persuade  others  who  are  not  on  the  com- 
mittee to  read  some  one  of  the  books  in  the  selected  list 
and  report  to  the  committee.  (For  suggestions  as  to 
books,  see  the  Bibliography  in  the  closing  pages  of  this 
volume.) 


322 


OUR  OPPORTUNITY 

How  can  the  Church  meet  its  opportunity  to  be  of  the 
highest  possible  service  to  the  parents?  That  there  is  an 
opportunity  for  service  none  can  doubt,  but  the  need  is 
diversified  and  covers  a  wide  range. 

Every  child  has  the  right  to  a  happy,  joyous  childhood. 
Parental  understanding  of  the  child — of  his  normal  condi- 
tions, of  the  laws  of  health  and  growth,  of  the  inner  life — 
is  necessary  for  those  who  fulfill  the  sacred  trust  of  parent- 
hood and  for  the  perfect  development  of  children  for  good 
citizenship  and  life.  Children  must  be  instructed  in  habits 
of  obedience,  honesty,  self-control,  reliability,  purity,  sin- 
cerity, and  efficiency. 

Our  aim  should  be  to  deepen  within  the  parents  the 
sense  of  their  responsibility  and  to  arouse  a  desire  for 
training  so  that  they  may  the  better  meet  this  responsi- 
bility; to  cause  them  also  to  be  ready  to  cooperate  with 
the  Sunday  school  in  its  task  of  religious  education,  not 
only  for  their  own  children,  but  for  the  children  of  the 
whole  community. 

The  introduction  of  the  Graded  Lessons,  bringing  as  it 
does  a  definite  course  of  study  into  the  several  depart- 
ments, has  focused  attention  upon  the  needs,  interests, 
and  capacities  of  the  pupils  within  a  given  range  of  age, 
and  has  made  it  seem  worth  while  for  teacher  and  parent 
to  consider  problems  in  which  they  are  mutually  inter- 
ested. 

In  planning  to  be  of  service  to  the  parents,  the  fact 
323 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

should  be  considered  that  many  of  the  parents  who 
should  be  reached  are  uneducated  and  uninformed  in 
matters  relating  to  the  physical  and  mental  needs  of  their 
children,  as  well  as  ignorant  of  the  Bible;  that  all  parents 
are  presumably  busy  people,  and  would  not  take  so  easily 
to  textbook  study  as  would  some  of  the  younger  people 
whom  we  undertake  to  train  as  teachers  through  a  text- 
book method;  while,  on  the  other  hand,  there  will  be 
groups  who  will  welcome  the  textbook  style  of  study.  It 
must  also  be  borne  in  mind  that  we  will  be  under  the  neces- 
sity of  training  leaders  for  parents'  classes. 

Cradle  Roll — Beginners. — Our  first  opportunity  is 
with  the  mothers  of  the  Cradle-Roll  children.  This 
organization  of  mothers  might  perhaps  include  those 
having  children  in  the  Beginners  Department.  The  plans 
of  work  followed  by  the  organizations  previously  men- 
tioned will  be  effective  here,  except  that  their  study  and 
discussion  of  problems  would  be  confined  to  the  work  of 
very  young  children.  For  this  part  of  the  work,  the 
leaders  can  get  special  help  from  the  Children's  Bureau, 
United  States  Department  of  Labor,  Washington,  D.  C. 

Primary. — The  Primary  Department  presents  the  sec- 
ond opportunity.  The  home  has  the  child  entirely  within 
its  care  for  the  first  six  years,  and  nearly  nine-tenths  of 
the  time  after  school  days  begin.  The  problems  of  early 
school  days  make  it  possible  for  these  mothers  to  consider 
topics  which  mothers  of  older  children  would  not  need 
to  consider.  This  organization  might  meet  at  the  Sundaj^- 
school  hour.  Part  of  their  time  should  be  spent  upon 
Bible  study  in  which  their  children  are  interested.    They 

324 


THE  PARENTS  DEPARTMENT 

will  desire  to  learn  how  to  tell  Bible  stories  to  children, 
how  to  assist  their  children  to  live  out  the  impressions 
which  they  receive  during  the  Sunday-school  hour,  and 
so  be  the  means  of  making  right  living  contribute  to  their 
character  growth. 

Junior. — The  third  opportunity  is  that  presented  by 
the  Junior  Department.  Here  the  parents  might  be  given 
the  privilege  of  taking  a  simple  though  connected  course 
of  Bible  study,  thus  enabling  them  to  unite  with  their 
children  in  the  habits  of  home  Bible  study,  and  to  have 
close  fellowship  in  the  discussion  of  religious  topics.  In 
addition  to  this  type  of  work,  of  course,  the  usual  prob- 
lems of  discipline  and  a  better  understanding  of  the  sex 
problem  should  be  introduced. 

Teen  Age. — ^The  fourth  opportunity  may  be  a  dual  one, 
in  that  at  this  point  the  fathers  come  into  a  closer  fellow- 
ship with  boy  life,  and  the  mothers  come  into  a  more 
intimate  relationship  with  girl  life.  Here  the  problems 
for  discussion  may  present  definite  divisions,  and  it  may 
be  necessary  to  help  the  fathers  through  an  occasional 
meeting,  while  the  mothers  may  still  be  willing  to  con- 
tinue in  study  courses. 

Federation  of  Classes. — ^The  federation  of  these  classes 
in  the  local  school  would  form  the  Parents  Department 
of  the  Sunday  school.  While  many  parents  would  have 
children  in  several  departments,  and  would  not  be  able 
to  attend  all  the  classes  at  the  same  time,  this  problem 
would,  nevertheless,  regulate  itself  in  that  the  mothers 
would  start  in  with  the  Cradle-Roll  children  and  would 

325 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

in  time  pass  from  one  grade  of  the  Parents  Department 
to  another. 

Courses  of  Study  and  Reading.— The  book  Ust  given 
in  the  Bibliography  presents  many  opportunities  for 
courses  of  study  by  books.  Very  soon  the  necessary 
courses  of  study  for  parents  and  elective  courses  for 
adults  will  be  provided. 


326 


VI 

SUGGESTIONS  FOR  LEADERS 

Those  who  are  making  a  broad  study  of  this  subject 
may  desire  to  avail  themselves  from  time  to  time  of 
leaflet  and  pamphlet  literature  on  a  variety  of  subjects, 
and  be  in  a  position  to  guide  those  who  are  making  the 
programs  for  the  local  church  work.  There  are  a  number 
of  national  and  other  organizations  that  are  in  a  position 
to  give  information  from  many  sides  of  child  life,  some  of 
these  organizations  having  branches  in  different  cities, 
each,  in  turn,  issuing  leaflets  suited  to  the  needs  of  the 
locality.  It  is  particularly  desirable  that  leaders  should 
keep  in  touch  with  the  government  bureaus  dealing  with 
child  life  and  educational  topics,  as  new  bulletins  are 
frequently  issued. 

The  Home  Division  of  the  Bureau  of  Education  at 
Washington,  D.  C.,  has  created  a  national  Reading  Circle 
and  has  outlined  ten  Courses  of  Reading,  while  the 
Children's  Bureau  has  a  series  of  leaflets  which  every 
mother  of  young  children  should  read. 

1.  Department  of  the  Interior,  Bureau  of  Education,  Washing- 

ton, D.  C. 

2.  United    States    Department   of   Labor,    Children's    Bureau, 

Washington,  D.  C. 

3.  National  Congress  of  Mothers  and  Parent  Teacher  Associa- 

tions, Washington,  D.  C. 

4.  National  Educational  Association,  Ann  Arbor,  Mich. 

5.  Religious  Education  Association,  Henry  F.  Cope,  Secretary, 

332  South  Michigan  Ave.,  Chicago,  111. 

6.  The  New  York  School  of  Philanthropy,  United  Charities 

Bldg.,  New  York  City,  N.  Y. 
327 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

7.  The  Russell  Sage  Foundation,  1  Madison  Ave.,  New  York 

City,  N.  Y. 

8.  Boy  Scouts  of  America,  200  Fifth  Ave.,  New  York  City,  N.  Y. 

9.  Camp  Fire  Girls,  461  Fourth  Ave.,  New  York  City,  N.  Y. 

10.  National  Society  for  the  Promotion  of  Industrial  Education, 

105  East  22d  St.,  New  York  City,  N.  Y. 

11.  American  Association  for  the  Prevention  of  Infant  Mortality, 

Medical  Faculty  Bldg.,  Baltimore,  Md. 

12.  The  School  of  Mothercraft,  520  West  End  Ave.,  New  York 

City,  N.  Y. 

13.  Federal  Council  of  Churches  of  Christ,  United  Charities  Bldg., 

New  York  City,  N.  Y. 

14.  The  American   Social  Hygiene  Association,  105  West  40th 

St.,  New  York  City,  N.  Y. 

15.  The  National  Christian  League  for  the  Promotion  of  Purity, 

5  East  12th  Street,  New  York  City.  N.  Y. 

16.  Society  of  Sanitary  and  Moral  Prophylaxis,  33  West  42d 

Street,  New  York  City,  N.  Y. 

These  magazines  will  be  found  helpful: 

Home  Progress,  Houghton  Mifflin  Co.,  Boston,  Mass.  ($3.00). 
The  Child,  Child  Welfare  Bureau,  Inc.,  535  Hearst  Bldg.,  Chicago, 

111.  ($1.00). 
The  Child,  John  Bale,  Sons   &   Danielsson,   Ltd.,   83-91  Great 

Titchfield  St.,  Oxford  St.,  London,  England  ($5.25). 
Child  WeKare,  Child  Welfare  Co.,  2275  N.  Sixth  St.,  Philadelphia, 

Pa.  ($1.00). 
Story  Tellers'  Magazine,  27  West  23d  Street,  New  York  City, 

N.  Y.  ($1.00). 
Something  to  Do,  School  Arts  Publishing  Co.,  120  Boylston  St., 

Boston,  Mass.  ($1.00). 

A  helpful  list  of  books  will  be  found  on  page  450. 


328 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WOEK 


XII 
HOW  TO  INCREASE  ATTENDANCE 

BY 

Rev.  jay  S.  STOWELL 


329 


1 


HOW  TO  INCREASE  ATTENDANCE 


THE  UNCULTIVATED  FIELD 

The  vast  extent  of  the  field  undeveloped  by  the  Sunday 
school  reminds  one  of  the  great  stretch  of  desert  a  few 
years  ago  in  our  western  states  which  to-day  is  producing 
wheat,  alfalfa,  apples,  plums  and  peaches.  All  that  was 
lacking  was  some  one  to  beheve  in  the  uncultivated  field 
and  to  give  it  a  chance. 

Out  of  a  population  of  over  ninety  million  people  the 
International  Sunday  School  Association  reports  as  the 
total  Sunday-school  enrollment  in  the  United  States  ap- 
proximately fifteen  and  one-half  million  persons.  This  in- 
cludes officers,  teachers,  Cradle  Roll  members  and  Home 
Department  members,  as  well  as  active  pupils. 

In  some  states  less  than  one  person  in  ten  is  in  direct 
touch  with  the  Sunday  school,  while  in  other  states  the 
proportion  is  one  in  four  or  five.  Recent  surveys  of  a  more 
intensive  character  have  given  us  information  which  is 
equally  interesting.  In  some  of  our  eastern  states,  where 
the  Sunday  school  has  its  best  hold,  the  survey  of  typical 
counties  has  shown  in  some  cases  as  high  as  sixty  per 
cent  of  the  boys  and  girls  of  school  age  who  are  not  in 
touch  with  any  Sunday  school.  In  one  Protestant  county 
with  a  school  age  population  of  8545,  the  survey  showed 

331 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

that  5195  were  not  even  enrolled  in  Sunday  school.  In 
our  sparsely  settled  western  states  it  is  estimated  that  a 
million  and  a  half  boys  and  girls  of  school  age  are  not 
reached  by  the  Sunday  school.  We  have  improved  our 
Sunday  schools,  but  the  enrollment  has  not  kept  pace  with 
the  improvement.  This  is  doubly  significant  when  we 
realize  that  family  prayers,  grace  at  meals  and  the  Bible 
bedtime  stories  are  often  unknown  to-day.  More  and 
more  parents  are  depending  on  the  Sunday  school  and  the 
Sunday  school  is  not  rising  to  its  opportunity. 

When  we  consider  the  matter  of  Sunday-school  attend- 
ance as  compared  with  enrollment,  we  find  that  our  in- 
formation is  entirely  inadequate.  It  is  impossible  to 
say  how  many  adults  or  how  many  children  attend  Sun- 
day school  on  any  given  Sunday.  The  carelessness  with 
which  Sunday-school  records  have  been  kept  and  the 
lack  of  differentiation  between  adult  pupils  and  pupils  of 
school  age  leaves  us  very  uncertain  as  to  what  proportion 
of  the  boys  and  girls  are  really  being  reached  by  Sunday 
schools.  Enough  data  are  at  hand,  however,  to  make 
certain  these  facts: 

(a)  Millions  of  boys  and  girls  in  our  country  are  not 
reached  by  the  Sunday  school,  by  the  parochial  school 
or  by  the  synagogue  school. 

(b)  Tens  of  millions  of  adults  are  entirely  out  of  direct 
touch  with  these  institutions. 

A  new  meaning  is  added  to  these  statistics  when  we 
remember  that  we  are  taking  into  our  country  each  year 
large  numbers  of  individuals  of  foreign  parentage,  birth 
and  ideals,  and  that  these  individuals  are  not  being 
reached  by  the  Sunday  schools  already  in  existence,  nor 
are  new  Sunday  schools  provided  in  sufficient  numbers 

332 


HOW  TO  INCREASE  ATTENDANCE 

or  with  sufficient  conveniences  to  accommodate  these 
newcomers. 

The  question  of  whether  or  not  Protestant,  Christian 
ideals  are  really  to  dominate  our  society  in  another  genera- 
tion lies  very  largely  with  the  Sunday  school '  to-day. 
The  home  and  the  public  school  are  not  solving  the 
problem. 

Undoubtedly,  we  need  more  Sunday  schools  in  our 
rural  sections  and  in  our  sparsely  settled  frontier  dis- 
tricts. The  attendance  of  pupils  at  Sunday  school  is 
practically  prohibited  in  the  country  by  a  distance  of 
three  or  four  miles,  and  often  a  much  shorter  distance 
proves  an  insurmountable  obstacle.  In  our  cities  a  few 
blocks  often  prove  to  be  as  effective  a  barrier  to  Sunday- 
school  attendance  as  the  same  number  of  miles  in  the 
country.  In  the  congested  districts  of  our  great  cities 
we  have  not  the  necessary  number  of  Sunday  schools, 
nor  are  they  adequately  equipped  to  care  for  the  boys 
and  girls  of  native  and  foreign  parentage  who  live  in  these 
communities.  However,  despite  the  fact  that  many  are 
out  of  reach  of  Sunday  school,  we  find  only  a  few  schools 
which  are  definitely  aiming  to  reach  all  the  unreached  in 
their  own  communities.  Few  are  using  their  own  equip- 
ment and  resources  to  the  limit. 


333 


n 

THINGS   FUNDAMENTAL 

If  the  Sunday  school  is  to  exist  it  must  secure  new 
members,  as  the  old  members  are  continually  leaving 
the  school.  It  is  estimated  that  in  some  sections  Sunday 
schools  change  practically  their  entire  personnel  every 
four  or  five  years. 

The  real  problem  of  Sunday-school  attendance,  however, 
is  not  to  maintain  the  Sunday  school,  but  to  find  some  way 
of  reaching  the  unreached.  As  Marion  Lawrance  says: 
"Many  are  unreached.  God  wants  them  reached.  They 
can  be  reached." 

No  One  Method. — In  the  study  of  individual  Sunday 
schools  it  becomes  quite  evident  that  there  is  no  one 
method  of  securing  Sunday-school  attendance  which  is 
bound  to  succeed  at  all  times  and  in  all  places.  No  one 
method  will  work  equally  well  in  the  same  school  at  dif- 
ferent times,  nor  will  it  work  equally  well  with  pupils  of 
different  ages  and  from  different  environments. 

Many  of  the  plans  which  have  been  used  most  effectively 
seem  so  simple  that  they  hardly  appear  to  be  worth  trying. 
In  most  cases,  however,  the  simple  plans  are  the  best  plans. 

The  successful  Sunday-school  worker  must  be  ready 
to  get  ideas  from  all  sources  and  to  adapt  them  to  local 
conditions.  He  must  be  alert  continually  to  watch  de- 
tails of  development  and  to  study  local  needs  and  con- 
ditions.   There  must  be  variety  and  movement,  and  the 

334 


HOW  TO  INCREASE  ATTENDANCE 

ingenuity  of  the  most  active  worker  will  be  taxed  to  the 
limit. 

In  every  case  the  spirit  which  dominates  the  workers 
will  be  more  important  than  the  particular  methods  which 
are  used.  If  a  pure  and  wholesome  enthusiasm  pervades 
the  school  the  most  ordinary  methods  for  developing 
attendance  will  prove  successful,  while  without  this  the 
best  methods  are  doomed  to  failure 

In  studying  all  the  notably  successful  schools  one 
comes  back  at  last  to  a  single  individual,  or  a  group  of 
two  or  three  individuals,  to  whom  the  real  success  of  the 
work  may  be  attributed.  These  individuals  have  made 
others  enthusiastic,  and  have  kept  their  guiding  hands 
on  the  multitudinous  details  of  an  elaborate  organiza- 
tion. Some  of  our  most  remarkable  superintendents  have 
been  bankers  and  men  of  other  large  business  affairs,  who 
are  accustomed  to  do  their  work  systematically  and  to 
look  after  details  with  care. 

Filling  a  Real  Need. — The  child  as  well  as  the  adult 
is,  in  the  long  run,  permanently  attracted  toward  those 
things  which  satisfy  a  real  need  in  his  life.  We  cannot, 
therefore,  expect  to  depend  upon  exhortation,  appeal  to 
duty,  parental  compulsion  or  artificial  incentive  to  secure 
Sunday-school  attendance.  These  are  always  second- 
rate  and  always  temporary.  This  does  not  mean  that 
none  of  these  motives  or  methods  should  be  used,  but  that 
ultimately  the  Sunday  school  must  fill  a  real  place  in  the 
pupil's  life  or  he  will  discard  it. 

The  marked  tendency  to-day  to  recognize  the  pupil's 
needs  in  all  Sunday-school  activity  strikes  at  the  very  root 
of  the  problem,  and  this  is  already  reacting  favorably 

335 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

upon  the  matter  of  attendance.  We  have  discovered 
that  the  Sunday  school  exists  for  the  sake  of  the  pupil,  and 
in  this  discovery  we  have  found  the  key  to  Sunday-school 
attendance.  When  the  Sunday  school  fills  a  felt  need  in 
the  life  of  the  pupil  no  methods  can  keep  him  away. 
Henry  F.  Cope  says,  "A  great  many  schools  are  using  up 
a  lot  of  energy  urging  everyone  to  come  to  nothing." 
There  is  doubtless  much  truth  in  this.  There  is  little 
value  in  getting  more  pupils  into  the  Sunday  school  than 
can  be  handled  satisfactorily,  or  in  urging  people  to  come 
to  a  school  where  there  is  nothing  worth  while  when  they 
arrive.  This  fact  is  not  an  excuse  for  inactivity,  but  a 
challenge  to  individual  Christians  to  make  their  Sunday 
schools  worth  while,  and  then  to  see  that  the  last  person 
is  brought  in. 


336 


Ill 


THE  STORY  OF  ONE  SCHOOL 

(Attention  is  drawn  to  this  school  because  it  represents  a  type 
which  abounds  in  our  smaller  towns  and  rural  hamlets.) 

In  a  small  town  in  the  northern  part  of  Illinois  a  man 
with  some  years'  experience  in  the  Christian  ministry 
felt  that  he  had  never  been  able  to  make  the  progress  in 
his  work  which  he  had  desired.  He  had  done  conven- 
tional work  with  the  adults,  and  he  now  resolved,  as  an 
experiment,  to  give  his  attention  to  the  children  and  to 
center  his  interest  in  the  Sunday  school.  He  had  a  very 
ordinary  Sunday  school  with  an  average  attendance  of 
thirty-five  to  forty. 

Without  attempting  any  spectacular  methods  he  began 
to  get  acquainted  with  children  on  the  street.  He  took 
pains  to  talk  to  them  and  to  invite  them  to  his  Sunday 
school.  He  planned  to  walk  down  the  street  at  the  time 
when  the  children  were  returning  from  school,  so  that  he 
might  get  a  chance  to  meet  them.  Wherever  children 
were  likely  to  be,  he  arranged  in  an  unobtrusive  way  to  be 
present.  Instead  of  an  acquaintance  he  became  their 
friend. 

How  the  School  Grew. — In  a  year  his  Sunday  school 
developed  to  an  average  attendance  of  sixty  to  seventy- 
five.  The  second  year  the  average  attendance  for  the 
entire  year  was  ninety-two,  and  the  third  year  one  hun- 

337 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

dred  and  thirty,  with  a  definite  aim  at  one  hundred 
and  fifty. 

The  pastor  acted  as  his  own  superintendent.  He  had 
numerous  assistants  on  whom  he  could  call  at  any  time, 
but  he  stayed  in  charge  of  the  work. 

He  arranged  to  have  something  new  and  interesting 
in  the  service  each  Sunday.  He  had  special  features  for 
the  opening  and  for  the  closing.  There  was  nothing 
spectacular,  but  always  something  to  rouse  interest,  and 
the  pupils  never  knew  just  what  was  coming. 

He  at  once  saw  the  value  of  the  graded  school,  with 
lessons  adapted  to  the  pupils'  needs  and  interests,  and  he 
proceeded  to  grade  his  school  thoroughly.  In  the  hands 
of  good  teachers  these  lessons  became  perhaps  the  greatest 
single  drawing  feature  of  the  Sunday-school  session. 

Special  Days. — He  made  a  great  deal  of  the  special 
days.  He  always  kept  something  ahead  for  the  pupils 
to  anticipate.  Rally  Day,  Thanksgiving  Day,  Christ- 
mas, New  Year's,  Washington's  Birthday,  Lincoln's 
Birthday,  Easter  and  Children's  Day  were  all  appropri- 
ately observed.  He  did  not  have  special  exercises,  but 
there  was  something  a  little  unusual  on  all  these 
occasions. 

In  addition  to  these  days  a  May  Party  was  held  each 
spring  in  the  church  parlors,  and  for  a  month  this  was  the 
talk  of  the  school.  Every  pupil  received  a  written  invita- 
tion to  this  party.  To  the  invitations  for  the  younger 
pupils  was  added  the  phrase,  "Bring  Mamma  and 
Papa." 

In  fact,  all  such  special  occasions  were  remembered  by 
written  invitations  to  the  pupils.    These  were  not  mailed, 

338 


HOW  TO  INCREASE  ATTENDANCE 

but  were  personally  addressed  and  given  to  the  individuals 
on  Sunday. 

The  picnic  during  the  summer  was  also  a  feature  which 
added  interest  to  the  life  of  the  school.  This  was  planned 
and  worked  up  with  great  care. 

Teachers'  conferences  were  held  once  or  twice  a  month 
at  which  the  department  work  was  emphasized.  This 
not  only  helped  to  improve  the  methods  of  the  workers 
but  also  created  an  esprit  de  corps  among  them. 

Pupils'  Cooperation. — Particular  care  was  taken  not 
to  invite  pupils  from  other  Sunday  schools,  but  the  pupils 
and  teachers  worked  together  to  secure  such  persons  as 
were  not  enrolled  elsewhere.  In  some  cases  class  members 
were  known  to  call  up  other  members  of  the  class  to  make 
sure  that  they  would  all  be  present  at  the  Sunday-school 
session  in  order  that  the  high  record  for  their  classes  might 
be  kept  up.  This  was  done  without  any  direct  suggestion 
on  the  part  of  teachers  or  parents. 

Caring  for  Supplies. — One  unusual  feature  in  connection 
with  this  Sunday  school  was  the  emphasis  placed  upon 
caring  for  the  supplies.  The  introduction  of  graded 
lessons  gave  an  opportunity  for  this.  The  superintendent 
believed  that  the  pupils  would  not  place  a  higher  value 
upon  the  lesson  helps,  and  consequently  upon  the  Sunday 
school,  than  did  he.  Accordingly,  he  emphasized  the  im- 
portance of  caring  for  the  lesson  helps;  they  were  not  to 
be  rolled  up,  nor  were  they  to  be  lost  or  disfigured  in  any 
way.  They  were  to  be  kept  so  neatly  that  they  could  be 
used  again  by  another  class.  This  was  not  only  a  matter 
of  economy,  but  it  gave  the  pupils  a  real  sense  of  respon- 

339 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

sibility.  Occasionally  a  lesson  help  was  rolled.  In  such 
a  case  there  was  no  harsh  criticism.  It  was  kindly  sug- 
gested, however,  that  the  only  possible  way  to  remedy 
the  injury  was  to  dampen  carefully  the  cover  of  the  book 
and  place  it  between  two  larger  books  over  night  or  until 
dry.  This  proved  effective  and  the  pupils  learned  to 
care  for  their  helps.  The  great  gain,  however,  was  that 
they  began  to  consider  them  of  real  value  and  to  see  a 
reason  for  this  unusual  care. 

Dignity  in  Sunday  School. — Everything  about  the  school 
was  done  with  dignity  and  was  considered  important. 
For  example,  when  the  adult  class  did  not  come  into  the 
closing  exercises  of  the  school,  a  messenger  was  dispatched 
by  the  superintendent  to  carry  the  report  of  the  day 
to  this  class.  No  matter  was  allowed  to  be  regarded 
trivial. 

There  was  no  scolding  or  finding  fault  with  the  pupils, 
but  special  effort  was  made  to  show  that  the  superintend- 
ent and  the  teachers  trusted  them.  Again  and  again  the 
superintendent  said  something  like  this:  'This  Sunday 
school  will  succeed  because  it  has  so  many  active  boys  and 
girls  who  are  interested  in  its  welfare." 

Not  a  Miracle,  but  Hard  Work. — No  miracle  accounts 
for  this  most  remarkable  development  of  a  small  school. 
This  is  simply  the  case  of  one  individual  in  a  small  town 
believing  in  the  possibilities  of  Sunday-school  attendance, 
and  going  ahead  without  spectacular  methods  to  reach 
individual  boys  and  girls,  and  then  to  make  the  Sunday 
school  so  worth  while  that  when  they  came  once  they 
wished  to  come  again. 

340 


HOW  TO  INCREASE  ATTENDANCE 

At  a  recent  communion  this  pastor  took  into  the  church 
sixteen  young  people  from  his  Sunday  school,  all  of  whom 
had  had  personal  instruction  from  him  as  to  the  meaning 
of  this  step.  They  knew  him  as  a  friend  and  gladly  opened 
their  hearts  to  him  on  these  personal  matters. 

One  remarkable  result  in  this  case  was  that  parents 
who  had  not  been  reached  by  any  other  method  became 
church  attendants  without  urging,  because  the  Sunday 
school  had  reached  the  children. 


341 


IV 

SOME  SUCCESSFUL  SCHOOLS 

Brazil,  Indiana. — Within  the  last  few  years  the  First 
Methodist  Episcopal  Sunday  School  of  Brazil,  Indiana, 
has  attracted  widespread  attention.  On  Easter  Sunday, 
April  26, 1911,  by  what  seemed  to  many  a  most  spectacular 
and  phenomenal  record,  this  school  became  the  largest 
Sunday  school  in  the  world. 

The  growth  within  a  period  of  one  year  had  been  most 
wonderful,  and  yet,  as  one  reads  the  story  of  the  school, 
there  is  the  feeling  that  it  was  not  the  campaign  of  a  year 
which  accounted  for  the  remarkable  results,  but  rather 
the  many  years  of  work  of  a  superintendent  with  a  long 
experience.  He  had  laid  the  foundations,  and  had  gotten 
together  a  corps  of  workers  who  were  filled  with  his  spirit 
and  with  the  Spirit  of  the  Master,  and  who  were  willing 
to  sacrifice  and  to  labor  both  for  the  school  and  for  the 
development  of  the  kingdom. 

This  remarkable  Sunday  school  of  nearly  five  thousand 
enrollment  in  a  town  of  only  a  little  over  nine  thousand 
inhabitants  shows  the  possibilities  of  Sunday-school  de- 
velopment when  the  workers  are  really  enthusiastic. 
It  was  the  spirit  which  dominated  this  school  rather 
than  any  method  which  accounted  for  this  growth. 

The  value  of  a  slogan  both  for  the  school  and  for  the 
individual  classes  was  well  demonstrated  in  the  campaign 
for  increase  which  this  school  waged.  The  motto  of  the 
entire  school  was  this,  'This  School  Seeks  the  Last  One." 
The  men's  Bible  class  took  for  its  motto,  "The  Largest 

342 


HOW  TO  INCREASE  ATTENDANCE 

Men's  Bible  Class  in  the  Largest  Sunday  School  in  the 
World."  As  the  pastor  says,  'This  was  a  big  cry,  but  the 
men  flung  it  far."  Their  slogan  was  "Every  man  get  a 
man,"  and  the  slogan  itself  added  spirit  to  their  work. 
Other  classes  adopted  similar  mottoes  with  equal  success. 
''Every  member  of  the  church  in  the  Sunday  school,  and 
every  member  of  the  Sunday  school  in  the  Church"  was 
heard  far  and  wide. 

The  attempt  to  double  the  enrollment  of  the  school 
within  the  space  of  one  year  was  successful.  When  the 
Cradle  Roll  forged  ahead  and  became  the  largest  Cradle 
Roll  in  the  world,  with  818  babies  enrolled,  the  whole 
school  caught  the  spirit. 

Much  might  be  written  about  the  success  of  this  great 
Sunday  school,  but  it  would  be  hard  to  put  one's  finger 
on  the  one^thing  which  accounted  for  the  remarkable 
development.  There  was  a  spirit  of  deep  consecration 
and  a  willingness  to  sacrifice  for  the  work.  There  was 
no  hanging  back,  but  everyone  was  willing  to  fall  in  and 
adopt  plans  suggested  by  the  leaders.  It  was  this  will- 
ingness to  cooperate  which  made  possible  achievements 
greater  than  any  individuals  working  independently  could 
have  accomplished. 

As  the  result  of  the  experience  of  this  school  the  pastor 
summarizes  the  three  great  external  elements  as  follows: 

1.  Organization — thorough,  compact  and  complete. 

2.  Publicity — sane,  sound,  attractive  and  original. 

3.  Solicitation — carrying  your  goods  to  the  market  as 
the  business  man  solicits  the  retailer. 

In  Brazil  organization  was  back  of  publicity.  The 
newspapers  were  used  and  were  filled  with  items  in  regard 

343 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

to  the  school.  Printer's  ink  was  found  most  effective. 
Nothing,  however,  succeeded  Hke  the  personal  solicitation 
by  the  superintendent,  teachers  and  the  class  members. 

Brookl3m,  New  York. — ^The  Bushwick  Avenue  Metho- 
dist Episcopal  Sunday  School  of  Brooklyn  has  had  an  equal 
success  by  similar  methods,  although  under  other  circum- 
stances. Here  we  have  a  little  mission  Sunday  school 
which  developed  until  it  in  its  turn  became  the  largest 
Sunday  school.  There  has  not  been  the  rapid  growth 
which  characterized  the  Brazil  school,  but  the  spirit  and 
the  methods  have  not  been  very  different. 

In  one  respect,  however,  the  Bushwick  Avenue  school 
differs  from  the  Brazil  school.  One  of  the  important 
features  of  the  school  at  Brazil  is  the  adult  development, 
but  as  one  visits  the  Bushwick  Avenue  Sunday  school  the 
absence  of  a  regular  Adult  Department  is  quite  marked. 
The  workers  in  the  Bushwick  school  are  glad  to  have 
adults  in  the  Sunday  school,  but  they  expect  them  to  go 
to  work.  They  therefore  utilize  the  adults  as  teachers, 
librarians,  secretaries,  ushers  and  in  various  other  posi- 
tions. There  are  large  numbers  of  adults  in  the  school, 
but  most  of  them  have  regular  tasks.  A  few  are  taught 
in  classes,  but  there  is  no  such  remarkable  adult  class  as 
the  one  in  Brazil. 

The  evangelistic  spirit  is  kept  to  the  front,  and  it  is 
impossible  for  a  visitor  to  go  into  this  school  without  feel- 
ing the  throb  of  a  real  religious  life. 

The  school  tries  to  show  its  interest  in  the  pupils  by 
helping  them  in  every  possible  way.  An  employment 
bureau  is  a  part  of  the  work,  and  from  Sunday  to  Sunday, 
as  opportunities  for  employment  come,  these  are  an- 

344 


HOW  TO  INCREASE  ATTENDANCE 

nounced  before  the  school.  Many  of  the  pupils  who  are 
in  need  of  work  are  in  this  way  placed  in  satisfactory 
positions. 

The  social  side  of  the  class  and  department  groups  is 
also  a  feature,  although  the  school  is  much  too  large  to 
make  social  gatherings  of  the  entire  group  possible. 

In  this  case,  however,  as  in  the  case  of  the  Brazil  school, 
we  come  back  to  one  man.  Without  him  and  his  long 
years  of  patient  labor  as  a  background  the  Bushwick 
Avenue  school  would  not  be  possible. 

Holding  Its  Pupils. — A  short  time  ago,  when  the  Child 
Welfare  Exhibit  was  held  in  one  of  our  great  cities,  an 
attempt  was  ^ade  to  find  which  Sunday  school  held  its 
pupils  best  during  the  critical  years  of  adolescence.  The 
school  which  apparently  did  this  task  best  was  charac- 
terized by  the  following: 

(a)  The  school  was  entirely  graded. 

(b)  Much  was  made  of  the  home  work. 

(c)  The  classes  were  organized  by  years,  as  in  high 
school. 

(d)  There  was  a  definite  time  for  graduation  (20  years 
of  age). 

(e)  Each  teacher  acted  as  a  sub-pastor,  feeling  a  sense 
of  responsibility  for  the  pupils  in  his  care. 

(/)  Pupils  graduated  from  the  Sunday  school  into  the 
Graduate  or  Adult  Department. 

It  was  found  that  this  Sunday  school  held  its  pupils 
not  only  4uring  the  years  of  adolescence,  but  that  they 
returned  and  kept  up  their  connection  with  the  school 
after  their  graduation. 

The  organization  into  classes  known  by  the  year  in 

345 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

which  they  were  to  graduate  was  found  to  be  most  satis- 
factory. This  was  not  carried  below  the  four  high-school 
years.  For  example,  those  to  graduate  in  1916  were 
known  as  the  1916  class;  those  to  graduate  in  1915,  the 
1915  class,  and  so  on.  This  gave  an  opportunity  for  a  real 
class  spirit,  class  songs,  mottoes,  class  socials  and  a  genu- 
ine class  life.  Of  course,  this  did  not  interfere  with  the 
teaching  of  class  groups,  which  were  small,  as  in  other 
schools,  but  there  was  this  larger  loyalty  among  those 
who  were  to  graduate  during  a  given  year.  For  holding 
adolescents  the  value  of  a  definite  time  for  graduation 
after  completing  a  graded  course  of  study  can  hardly  be 
overemphasized. 


346 


GENERAL  METHODS  WHICH  HAVE  BEEN  USED 

The  Survey  Method. — One  of  the  methods  which  has 
been  tried  recently  in  a  number  of  schools  is  the  survey 
method.  This  is  in  line  with  the  spirit  of  the  times.  It 
gives  the  workers  definite  information  in  regard  to  the 
conditions  in  their  own  field,  and  this  alone  is  usually 
enough  to  inspire  them  to  activity.  The  survey  may  be 
made  by  a  special  committee,  an  adult  class  or  any  other 
authorized  group.  The  work  must  be  done  wisely  and 
tactfully  and  all  the  information  carefully  tabulated,  if 
the  best  results  are  to  be  secured.  A  distinct  effort 
should  be  made  to  secure  accurate  information. 

Curious  things  have  been  revealed  by  the  surveys. 
In  a  few  cases  schools  have  discovered  they  did  not 
have  so  large  a  field,  especially  among  the  children,  as 
they  had  supposed,  but  in  most  cases  the  opposite  was 
true,  and  it  has  been  found  that  there  were  far  more 
individuals  unreached  than  anyone  had  imagined.  In 
any  case,  however,  the  setting  of  definite  limits  to  the  field, 
and  the  making  of  a  survey  to  discover  the  number  of 
individuals  living  within  them,  the  number  attending 
Sunday  school  or  connected  with  other  religious  schools, 
the  number  of  children  of  school  age  and  the  number 
unreached  by  any  Sunday  school,  place  the  task  of  the 
school  so  clearly  before  it  that  nothing  but  good  can  result. 
The  survey  itself  will,  of  course,  accomplish  httle.  It 
must  be  followed  by  personal  work. 

347 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

Promotion  and  Publicity  Department. — One  Sunday 
school  in  Chicago  organized  a  Promotion  and  Publicity 
Department,  with  the  most  satisfactory  results.  A  very 
marked  increase  in  membership  and  attendance  followed 
the  work  of  this  department.  The  plan  was  to  keep  in 
touch  with  the  entire  district  and  to  know  what  was 
happening.  Vacant  houses  and  moving  vans  were 
watched,  and  as  soon  as  a  new  family  came  into  the  com- 
munity, it  was  visited  by  some  member  of  the  school. 
Children  were  at  once  invited  to  attend  the  Sunday 
school,  if  they  were  not  already  members  of  some  other 
school. 

Card  Files. — Card  files  were  kept,  so  that  the  informa- 
tion obtained  by  the  volunteer  visitors  could  be  on  file  for 
future  use.  One  or  two  persons  in  the  block  were  held 
particularly  responsible  for  the  territory  near  their  homes. 
They  either  reported  newcomers  to  the  head  of  the  Pub- 
licity Department  or  visited  them  and  then  reported  the 
results  of  their  visit.  Other  schools  have  tried  a  similar 
method  with  success. 

Following  Up  Absentees. — A  good  many  schools  have 
tried  this  method,  and  its  advantages  are  very  evident. 
There  are  many  systems  of  attending  to  this  matter. 
In  some  places  it  is  attended  to  by  a  regular  visitor,  who 
calls  upon  pupils  if  they  are  absent  even  one  Sunday. 
In  other  cases  a  reminder  is  sent  by  mail.  This  is  of  va- 
rious types.  In  some  cases  it  contains  a  suggestion  that 
the  pupil  may  be  sick  or  in  trouble;  while  in  other  cases 
it  is  simply  a  reminder  of  absence  with  an  invitation  to 
return.  Some  schools  have  a  different  reminder  which  is 
sent  out  after  two  absences. 

348 


HOW  TO  INCREASE  ATTENDANCE 

The  Progressive  FoUow-Up  System. — A  school  in  Engle- 
wood,  Illinois,  has  a  progressive  follow-up  system  by  which 
each  successive  absence  brings  a  personal  call,  a  'phone 
message  or  a  notice  from  another  official  one  step  higher 
up.  The  first  week  the  teacher  looks  after  the  matter; 
the  second  week,  the  general  secretary  of  the  school;  the 
third  week,  the  department  superintendent,  and  the  fourth 
week,  without  excuse,  the  general  superintendent.  Other 
schools  have  similar  plans. 

Following  Up  Lost  Pupils. — Most  Sunday-school  work- 
ers have  not  felt  any  particular  responsibility  for  inform- 
ing other  Sunday  schools  of  pupils  moving  into  their 
locality.  More  and  more  this  is  being  done,  but  a  more 
elaborate  system  of  cooperation  should  be  developed. 
Sunday-school  superintendents  ought  to  feel  responsible 
for  every  person  who  moves  from  a  community  and  thereby 
gives  up  Sunday-school  membership,  until  that  person  is 
satisfactorily  located  in  another  school. 

**Round-Up"  Sunday. — In  some  schools  in  New  York 
City  "Round-up  Sunday"  has  been  used  with  great 
effect.  This  is  similar  in  its  idea  to  Rally  Day,  except 
that  it  comes  at  a  different  time  of  the  year,  and  the  idea 
is  to  "round  up"  everyone  who  can  be  reached.  This 
method  has  been  used  by  individual  schools  and  by  large 
groups  of  schools  to  good  advantage.  The  feeling  that 
other  schools  in  the  local  community  are  cooperating  in 
a  general  movement  helps  to  add  enthusiasm  to  the  work. 

Attention  to  the   Opening  Devotional   Service.— One 

school  in  New  York  aims  particularly  to  emphasize  the 
opening  devotional  period,  and  to  make  this  so  interesting 

349 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

that  the  pupils  do  not  care  to  miss  it.  They  are  careful 
also  to  prevent  any  disturbance  during  this  period,  and 
late  comers  are  sometimes  asked  to  remain  outside  if 
their  entrance  would  interfere  with  the  service.  It  was 
found  that  the  pupils  really  enjoyed  this  service,  every 
portion  of  which  was  arranged  with  them  in  mind,  and 
that  it  proved  a  real  incentive  to  Sunday-school  attend- 
ance and  to  early  attendance.  A  Sunday-school  orchestra 
is  a  real  help  in  this  connection. 

Early  and  Late  Signs. — Some  schools  lay  a  good  deal  of 
stress  on  prompt  attendance,  making  use  of  the  signs 
"I  am  late"  and  "1  am  early."  Some  of  the  most  suc- 
cessful Sunday  schools,  however,  have  paid  very  little 
attention  to  this  matter,  but  have  depended  upon  the 
general  interest  to  keep  up  a  prompt  attendance. 

The  Bushwick  Avenue  school  in  Brooklyn  works  on 
the  theory  that  it  is  better  for  a  pupil  to  be  in  the  Sunday 
school  for  a  portion  of  the  hour  than  not  to  be  there  at  all, 
and  so  they  do  not  emphasize  early  and  late  aspects  of 
attendance,  lest  some  should  be  discouraged  from  coming. 

Secretary's  Report. — In  many  schools  this  is  made 
prominent,  and  it  is  a  factor  in  keeping  up  the  interest 
in  attendance.  Comparative  reports  showing  relative 
attendance  of  one  Sunday  with  the  attendance  one  year 
previous  never  lose  their  interest,  and  are  undoubtedly  an 
incentive.  A  homemade  board  or  chart  may  be  used 
for  this  purpose. 

In  some  cases  a  thermometer,  showing  the  temperature 
of  the  school  as  tested  by  its  attendance,  has  been  used 
satisfactorily. 

In  other  cases  comparative  curves  made  on  easily  pre- 
350 


HOW  TO  INCREASE  ATTENDANCE 

pared  coordinate  paper  were  of  interest;  these  may  be 
made  to  cover  a  period  of  three  months,  an  entire  year  or 
even  five  years.  These  are  readily  understood,  and  al- 
ways remind  pupils  and  teachers  of  the  general  trend  of 
the  school,  whether  it  be  up  or  down. 

A  school  in  Topeka,  Kansas,  has  a  system  of  compara- 
tive charts  which  are  prepared  annually,  showing  the 
relative  growth  of  the  various  departments.  A  circle 
is  divided  into  segments,  one  being  allowed  to  the  Be- 
ginners, another  each  to  the  Primary,  Junior,  Intermediate, 
Senior  and  Adult  departments.  Ofiicers  and  teachers  also 
have  a  segment.  These  comparative  charts  show  the 
relative  growth  of  the  departments  from  year  to  year  and 
also  the  addition  of  new  departments.  This  school  lays 
a  great  deal  of  emphasis  upon  the  Sunday-school  records. 
The  aim  is  to  have  as  little  of  this  work  done  by  the  teacher 
as  possible  and  as  much  by  the  regular  secretaries.  The 
reason  for  this  is  twofold:  First,  many  teachers  do  not 
take  an  interest  in  the  secretarial  side  of  the  work;  and, 
second,  the  teacher's  time  is  thus  left  free  for  other  work. 

A  Well-Equipped  Building. — ^Many  superintendents  feel 
that  a  large  element  in  their  success  is  the  well-equipped 
building  at  their  disposal.  The  separate  classrooms 
and  department  rooms,  with  their  roller  partitions  and 
other  features,  tend  to  make  the  workers  and  the  pupils 
comfortable  and  to  make  the  Sunday-school  session  a 
pleasure.  Many  schools  are  now  working  toward  per- 
manent classrooms  which  can  be  closed  up  or  opened  at 
the  disposal  of  the  class  during  the  week.  Such  a  room 
gives  the  pupil  a  sense  of  proprietorship  which  does  not 
come  with  a  room  inclosed  only  by  roller  doors. 

351 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

The  Home  Department. — ^The  organization  of  a  Home 
Department  makes  the  work  of  the  Sunday-school  visitor 
easy.  There  is  always  a  proper  channel  for  the  enroll- 
ment of  all  the  members  in  the  family.  Many  who  be- 
come interested  in  the  Home  Department  later  find  it 
possible  to  attend  the  regular  sessions  of  the  school. 

Withdrawal  Cards. — Some  schools  insist  upon  a  with- 
drawal request  on  the  part  of  the  pupils  before  they  are 
released  from  membership.  They  have  thus  found  it 
possible  to  keep  track  of  all  those  who  have  dropped 
from  the  rolls  and  to  know  the  reason  for  their  dismissal. 
The  value  of  this  is  not  likely  to  be  overemphasized,  as 
it  enables  superintendents  to  place  pupils  in  case  of  re- 
moval in  touch  with  other  schools. 

Standard  of  Membership. — Some  schools  have  a 
definite  though  simple  standard  of  membership  and  a 
formal  reception  of  new  members.  Without  doubt,  this 
gives  a  feeling  of  responsibility  to  the  newcomer,  and 
is  a  real  asset  in  securing  regular  attendance.  In  some 
cases  consecutive  attendance  for  a  period  of  three  weeks 
is  required  for  membership.  In  other  cases  it  is  simply 
the  declaration  of  intention  to  become  a  member  of  the 
Sunday  school  and  to  work  for  its  welfare. 

Printed  Annoimcements. — Many  schools  print  leaflets 
describing  their  organization,  their  curriculum,  the  dates 
of  the  school  year,  special  occasions,  plans  for  the  school 
worship  and  other  items  of  interest.  These  give  dignity 
to  all  the  Sunday-school  functions  and  call  attention  to 
unrecognized    values    in    the    Sunday    school.     Church 

352 


HOW  TO  INCREASE  ATTENDANCE 

bulletins  may  also  be  used  for  a  similar  purpose.  A 
Sunday-school  bulletin,  containing  notes  from  the  librarian, 
from  the  secretary  and  other  oflBcers  of  the  school,  together 
with  items  of  interest  about  the  school  in  general  and  in- 
dividual pupils,  may  be  used  to  good  advantage.  In  some 
cases  the  pupils  themselves  could  prepare  and  print  this 
bulletin. 

A  Combination  Service. — A  church  and  Sunday  school 
in  McKeesport,  Pennsylvania,  has  tried  with  marked  suc- 
cess a  combination  morning  service.  This  accompHshed 
two  things:  It  got  the  children  into  the  preaching  serv- 
ice and  it  got  the  adults  into  the  Sunday  school.  The 
enrollment  of  the  Sunday  school  has  grown  considerably 
and  the  average  attendance  has  been  larger  than  for  five 
years  previous.  A  few  other  schools  are  trying  a  similar 
arrangement.  It  emphasizes  the  teaching  function  of 
the  Church  and  also  partially  solves  the  problem  of  the 
multiplicity  of  services  on  Sunday. 

Extension  Work.— This  is,  according  to  Dr.  Cope,  a 
broadening  out  of  the  Home  Department  idea.  Men  in 
the  shops  and  factories  might  be  reached  by  such  a 
method.  Then  there  are  hospitals,  prisons  and  other 
institutions  for  which  some  Sunday  school  should  become 
responsible.  Summer  camps  and  resorts  and  boarding 
houses  also  furnish  groups  often  entirely  unreached. 
The  possibility  of  this  extension  work  is  almost  unlimited, 
and  schools  might  well  be  proud  to  have  numerous 
branches  extending  out  to  these  needy  fields.  Corre- 
spondence classes  might  even  be  developed. 


353 


VI 

REACHING  THE  CHILD 

Fundamentally,  the  problem  of  Sunday-school  attend- 
ance is  the  problem  of  getting  hold  of  the  child.  We  are 
proud  of  our  adult  classes  and  of  all  that  the  Bible  class 
has  accomplished.  We  are  always  glad  to  have  the  adults 
in  our  Sunday  schools,  but  the  children  we  must  have  or 
fail.  The  value  of  the  Sunday  school,  as  of  all  schools,  is, 
and  always  must  be,  greatest  for  the  individual  in  the 
process  of  development. 

Ministry  to  Youiig  Parents. — One  school  in  the  Middle 
West  made  a  good  deal  of  its  ministry  to  the  young 
parents,  feeling  that  if  the  school  was  to  have  a  healthy 
development  it  must  get  hold  of  children  at  an  early  age. 
This  service  for  the  parents  consisted  in  providing  appro- 
priate literature  dealing  with  the  care  and  nurture  of  in- 
fants and  with  problems  of  parenthood.  Storybooks 
appropriate  for  parents'  use  were  also  provided.  Once 
a  year  a  special  party  was  given  for  all  the  young  married 
people.  This  was  usually  given  on  Washington's  Birth- 
day, and  was  made  a  prominent  feature  of  the  year's 
work.  Having  thus  secured  the  interest  of  the  parents, 
it  was  not  difficult  to  secure  the  child  for  Sunday  school 
when  the  proper  age  was  reached. 

Cradle  Roll.^ — In  connection  with  the  method  just 
described,  the  importance  of  the  Cradle  Roll  should  be  sug- 

354 


HOW  TO  INCREASE  ATTENDANCE 

gested.  Much  has  been  written  upon  Cradle-Roll  methods, 
and  it  is  unnecessary  to  go  into  detail  in  regard  to  these. 
The  value  of  this  can  hardly  be  overestimated.  It  se- 
cures the  cooperation  of  the  parent,  and  the  value  to  the 
child  as  he  comes  to  the  years  of  understanding  in  real- 
izing that  he  has  for  a  long  time  been  connected  with  the 
Sunday  school  is  of  considerable  importance.  The  annual 
reception  for  Cradle-Roll  members  is  a  most  effective 
way  of  keeping  hold  of  the  parents  and  thus  enlisting  the 
pupils  at  an  early  age  in  the  school. 

Children's  Sermons. — Many  schools  are  now  merging 
the  closing  exercises  of  the  Sunday  school  with  the  opening 
exercises  of  the  church  service,  a  children's  sermon  being 
a  feature  of  this,  the  children  then  passing  out  at  the  proper 
time.  Without  doubt,  this  helps  to  bind  the  pupil  to  the 
church,  and  also  to  make  Sunday-school  attendance  worth 
while. 

The  Value  of  the  Kindergarten.— The  kindergarten  is 
of  great  value  as  a  feeder  of  the  Sunday  school.  If  this 
is  made  interesting  and  helpful,  the  child  forms  the  habit 
of  Sunday-school  attendance  so  young  that  he  feels  a 
real  disappointment  if  he  is  obliged  to  be  absent.  The 
kindergarten  operated  in  close  cooperation  with  the  Cradle 
Roll  is  a  most  effective  method  of  building  up  the  Sunday- 
school  enrollment  from  the  most  promising  material. 

Cooperation  with  Parents. — One  school  which  kept  a 
careful  record  of  the  causes  of  absence  of  its  pupils  found 
that  in  fifty  per  cent  of  the  cases  it  was  due  to  lack  of 
cooperation  on  the  part  of  the  parents.     This  cooperation 

355 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

can  be  secured  by  giving  the  parents  the  idea  that  the 
Sunday-school  worker  is  really  interested  in  the  welfare 
of  the  pupil,  and  expects  the  parents  to  do  their  share  in 
the  development  of  the  child. 

Reaching  Children  Through  Parents. — After  careful 
study  of  the  situation,  Rev.  William  Walter  Smith  feels 
sure  that  the  solution  of  the  attendance  problem  lies  in  an 
approach  to  the  parents.  This  is  effected  through  a  series 
of  small  penny  pamphlets,  specially  prepared  and  worked 
over  by  a  number  of  recognized  experts.  These  cover 
plain  truths  directed  to  parents,  couched  in  simple  and 
unmistakable  language.  One  school,  by  the  use  of  these 
pamphlets,  increased  its  attendance  in  two  weeks  from 
seventy-four  to  one  hundred  and  ninety-two,  and  in  two 
weeks  more  to  two  hundred  and  twenty-five.  Nothing 
else  was  done  by  this  school  during  this  period  to  secure 
an  increase  of  membership.  As  Dr.  Smith  says :  "This  was 
evidently  an  unworked  field,  and  this  result  could  not  be 
possible  in  a  locality  where  there  was  no  great  number 
of  unreached  children." 

Parents'  meetings  and  other  similar  methods  will  also 
reach  the  child  through  the  home.  Giving  the  parent  to 
understand  that  the  Sunday  school  is  simply  working  with 
him  and  that  he  is  responsible  for  a  good  portion  of  the 
result  is  always  beneficial.  Parents'  Days  in  the  Sunday 
school,  mothers'  meetings  and  other  like  plans  will  con- 
tribute to  this  end.  One  remarkable  Sunday  school  in 
Chicago  has  an  attendance  of  over  six  hundred,  and  they 
are  not  conscious  of  using  any  methods  to  secure  this  at- 
tendance. They  attribute  it  entirely  to  the  European 
Protestant  traditions  in  the  home. 

356 


HOW  TO  INCREASE  ATTENDANCE 

Rewards. — In  mission  Sunday  schools  particularly, 
rewards  have  been  used  to  good  advantage.  One  Sunday- 
school  missionary  always  gave  a  Testament  to  children 
who  came  to  Sunday  school  every  Sunday  for  three  months 
and  learned  the  title  of  the  lesson  and  the  golden  text 
each  Sunday.  For  pupils  over  thirteen  who  did  these 
things,  and  learned  in  addition  the  Twenty-third  Psalm, 
the  Lord's  Prayer,  the  Beatitudes,  the  Ten  Command- 
ments, a  Bible  was  the  reward.  This  was  very  wholesome 
and  gave  an  opportunity  to  place  Bibles  in  homes  where 
no  Bibles  had  hitherto  been.  Among  a  more  favored 
class  of  pupils,  however,  this  would  not  be  so  successful 
or  desirable. 


357 


VII 
THE  "TEEN"  AGE 

Nowhere  has  Sunday-school  leakage  been  greater  than 
during  the  adolescent  period.  Experience  has  shown, 
however,  that  losses  here  can  be  ehminated  by  careful 
and  earnest  work. 

Organized  Classes. — At  no  time  is  it  more  essential  that 
classes  be  organized  than  during  the  "teen"  age,  when  the 
natural  grouping  instinct  is  strongest.  The  successful 
organized  classes,  however,  are  those  which  have  a  definite 
purpose  and  genuine  activity.  Organization  for  the  sake 
of  organization  is  not  of  great  value. 

Athletics. — There  is  no  doubt  that  well-organized 
athletics,  either  in  the  gymnasium  or  on  the  ball  ground, 
will  do  much  to  keep  up  the  interest  and  enthusiasm  of  the 
boys.  The  opportunity  here,  however,  is  much  more 
than  that  of  keeping  hold  of  the  boys.  There  are  few 
places  where  moral  and  religious  ideas  can  be  more  effi- 
ciently taught  and  put  into  practice  than  in  sport.  Club- 
rooms  for  boys  under  proper  supervision  are  equally  val- 
uable.   The  supervision  of  a  man  is  most  desirable  here. 

A  Baseball  League. — ^The  four  Sunday  schools  of  Co- 
lumbus, Kansas,  organized  a  Baseball  League,  with  two 
games  scheduled  for  each  week.  These  were  played  on 
the  village  green  at  six  o'clock  in  the  evening.     No  person 

358 


HOW  TO  INCREASE  ATTENDANCE 

was  allowed  to  play  who  did  not  attend  Sunday  school  at 
least  fifty  per  cent  of  the  time,  and  every  player  must 
have  been  a  Sunday-school  member  for  at  least  two  weeks. 
A  wholesome  rivalry  sprang  up  and  the  townspeople 
attended  the  games  in  large  numbers.  Not  only  were 
the  Sunday  schools  permanently  built  up,  but  a  number 
of  young  men  were  brought  into  the  church  as  a  result. 
Most  of  the  players  were  from  eighteen  to  twenty-three 
years  of  age.  During  the  winter  a  Basket-ball  League 
was  organized. 

Summer  Camps. — Many  schools  are  making  use  of  the 
Summer  Camp  for  boys  with  most  satisfactory  results. 

Department    Organization   and   Promotion   Days. — A 

thorough  department  organization,  with  well-established 
promotion  days,  makes  the  pupil  feel  that  he  is  pro- 
gressing, and  his  interest  is  much  more  easily  retained 
than  in  a  group  which  goes  round  and  round  in  a 
treadmill  and  never  arrives  anywhere. 

Pastor's  Bodyguard. — Junior  boys  can  be  used  as  a 
pastor's  bodyguard  to  assist  him  in  various  ways.  The 
feeling  of  responsibility  and  importance  which  thus 
comes  is  another  link  to  bind  the  young  people  to  the 
school. 

Reaching  the  Boys. — One  Sunday-school  worker  who 
has  been  most  successful  in  persuading  boys  to  attend 
the  Sunday  school,  and  in  interesting  them  when  they  are 
there,  sums  up  his  experience  as  follows: 

(a)  Show  the  boys  they  are  wanted. 
359 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

(6)  Treat  them  as  friends  and  not  acquaintances, 
(c)  Provide  social  functions. 
id)  Set  them  at  work. 

Class  Loyalty. — ^This  can  be  promoted  through  class 
exhibits,  class  pins,  badges,  membership  certificates, 
class  social  functions,  class  banners  and  a  class  flower. 
A  class  name  is  also  of  the  first  importance. 

"Messenger  Cadets." — ^The  Moody  Church  Sunday 
school,  Chicago,  IlKnois,  has  a  system  of  Messenger  Cadets 
to  look  after  the  first  and  second  Sunday's  absentees. 
The  Sunday-school  visitor  calls  upon  the  absentees  for  the 
third  Sunday,  and  the  fourth  Sunday,  the  superintendent 
takes  up  the  matter  by  letter.  After  the  fifth  Sunday 
the  name  is  dropped  from  the  roll  if  there  is  no  good  reason 
for  absence.  In  one  week  the  Messenger  Cadets  made 
ninety-two  calls  and  returned  a  total  of  twenty-five  pupils. 
One  school  made  use  of  these  messenger  boys  to  deliver 
telegrams  to  absent  pupils. 

Pupils  as  Promoters. — ^The  value  of  the  pupils  as  at- 
tendance promoters  should  never  be  forgotten.  Pupils 
can  reach  other  individuals  of  their  own  age  more  satis- 
factorily than  can  adults.  They  intuitively  understand 
the  feelings  and  motives  of  their  companions  and  know 
how  to  get  hold  of  them  for  the  Sunday  school. 

Vacant  House  Brigade. — One  school  organized  a  Vacant 
House  Brigade.  "For  Sale"  and  "For  Rent"  signs  were 
watched,  and  as  soon  as  such  a  sign  disappeared  a  call  was 
made  by  a  member  of  the  Brigade  or  this  fact  was  reported 

360 


HOW  TO  INCREASE  ATTENDANCE 

to  the  authorities  of  the  school.  In  this  way  some  people 
who  moved  into  the  community  during  the  week  were 
brought  into  the  school  the  first  Sunday. 

Information  Blank. — Some  schools  prepare  information 
blanks,  so  that  the  pupils  can  provide  information  con- 
cerning brothers,  sisters,  acquaintances  and  neighbors. 
This  always  indicates  whether  or  not  these  individuals 
belong  to  any  other  Sunday  school.  This  saves  the  time 
of  house-to-house  canvassing,  by  which  much  time  can  be 
wasted.  This,  followed  up  by  a  personal  letter  or  visit, 
will  often  bring  new  members  into  the  school.  If  an  invi- 
tation is  sent  by  letter,  a  card  of  acceptance  to  be  returned 
may  be  included. 

Rewards  for  New  Members. — ^These  are  of  many  kinds 
and  sorts  and  they  are  advertised  widely.  There  is  a 
real  danger,  however,  that  individuals  will  be  approached 
with  wrong  motives  and  also  that  the  credit  for  securing 
pupils  may  go  to  the  wrong  person.  All  such  plans 
should  be  adopted  with  great  caution,  although  in  many 
cases  they  have  produced  genuine  results.  Probably  some 
simple  recognition  of  such  service  would  be  better  than  a 
reward. 

Reception  of  New  Pupils. — Pupils  should  be  made  to 
feel  that  they  really  have  become  members  of  the  school, 
and  nothing  will  add  more  to  this  than  a  public  reception 
of  the  new  members  each  Sunday.  Many  schools  make 
much  of  this,  and  there  is  no  doubt  that  it  is  a  real  factor 
in  keeping  the  new  members  faithful  to  their  obligations. 

In  connection  with  this  reception  the  secretary  may  well 
361 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

get  the  previous  Sunday-school  record  of  the  pupil  on  an 
enrollment  blank  or  school  album.  This  will  impress  the 
pupil  with  the  importance  of  a  good,  clear  Sunday-school 
record.  It  is  suggested  that  a  neat  card  of  greeting,  with 
a  calendar  of  church  services,  also  be  given  to  the  new 
pupil,  together  with  a  certificate  of  membership. 

The  Assigning  Officer. — Another  factor  is  that  of 
getting  the  pupil  located  in  the  proper  department  and 
class.  Many  schools  are  now  setting  aside  a  separate 
officer  whose  one  duty  it  is  to  see  that  new  pupils  are 
assigned  to  the  proper  classes. 

Letter  to  Parents. — In  some  schools,  as  soon  as  a  pupil 
applies  for  admission,  a  letter  is  sent  to  the  parents,  asking 
their  cooperation,  and  a  certificate  of  approval  is  inclosed 
for  the  parents  to  sign.  The  church  missionary  then 
visits  the  home  before  the  child  is  fully  admitted  to  the 
school.  All  this  tends  to  make  the  parent  as  well  as  the 
pupil  take  the  Sunday-school  membership  seriously  and 
to  make  unusual  efforts  that  the  attendance  shall  be  regu- 
lar. A  system  of  reports  to  the  parents  can  also  be  used 
to  advantage. 

Birthday  Letters.— A  careful  record  of  the  birthdays  of 
the  pupils  is  kept  and  each  one  receives  from  teacher  or 
superintendent  a  birthday  letter.  This  not  only  serves 
as  a  bond  between  the  pupil  and  the  school,  but  it  also 
affords  opportunity  to  talk  intimately  about  serious  and 
vital  problems. 

The  Union  School. — Many  of  the  smaller  communities 
have  solved  their  problems  by  establishing  union  schools. 

362 


HOW  TO  INCREASE  ATTENDANCE 

In  a  little  town  in  Montana  the  Presbyterians,  Baptists 
and  Methodists — although  they  could  not  accept  real 
Christian  unity — decided  upon  a  union  Sunday  school. 
They  found  that  a  Sunday  school  of  one  hundred  and  fifty 
members  was  a  great  deal  more  spirited  and  effective  than 
three  Sunday  schools  of  fifty  each.  Other  communities 
have  tried  the  same  plan  with  marked  success.  A  large 
school  grows  more  readily  than  a  small  school,  and  it  is 
much  easier  to  reach  all  the  individuals  in  a  community 
by  one  large  school  than  by  three  or  four  weak  and  strug- 
gling schools.  The  great  gain  is  with  the  young  people, 
who  are  together  in  their  public-school  and  social  life 
and  do  not  like  to  be  separated  on  Sundays. 

Contests. — Many  kinds  of  contests  have  been  used  to 
increase  attendance.  In  some  cases  the  contests  have 
been  between  classes,  in  other  cases  between  equally  di- 
vided groups,  and  in  a  few  cases  between  schools  in  near- 
by communities.  The  testimony  of  many  Sunday  schools, 
however,  is  that  the  contest  method  has  to  be  used  with 
great  caution.  There  is  danger  that  credit  may  go  to  the 
wrong  individuals,  and  the  chance  for  misunderstandings 
and  ill  will  is  very  large.  Many  schools,  however,  have 
used  various  types  of  contest  with  considerable  success, 
at  least  so  far  as  increasing  attendance  is  concerned. 

Recognition  of  Attendance. — ^This  may  take  the  form 
of  a  recognition  of  perfect  attendance  of  class  groups,  or 
of  individuals,  or  both.  It  is  probably  well,  however,  to 
emphasize  group  loyalties,  although  there  is  much  to  be 
said  in  favor  of  individual  records.  This  recognition  is 
quite  general  in  the  larger  Sunday  schools,  and  in  many 

363 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

cases  in  the  smaller  schools.  Sometimes  a  banner  is  pre- 
sented to  the  class  on  the  day  on  which  it  has  a  perfect 
record  in  the  matter  of  attendance.  At  the  end  of  the 
month  another  banner  or  another  recognition  is  planned  if 
the  class  has  been  perfect  in  attendance  during  the  month. 
At  the  end  of  the  year  a  permanent  trophy  is  appropriate. 
There  are  many  button  systems,  such  as  the  Cross  and 
Crown  system,  with  recognition  for  individuals  who  have 
a  perfect  attendance  record  for  periods  of  from  one  month 
to  five  or  six  or  even  ten  years.  No  one  of  these  methods 
will  hold  the  interest  of  the  entire  school  continuously,  but 
they  may  be  used  for  considerable  periods  with  success. 

The  Honor  Roll. — This  is  one  of  the  very  best  ways  of 
recognizing  regular  attendance  on  the  part  of  the  pupils, 
and  many  Sunday-school  members  point  with  pride  to 
their  names  on  the  permanent  Honor  Roll  of  the  school. 
These  are  of  many  kinds.  They  may  be  secured  from 
various  publishing  houses  oT  prepared  locally. 

Making  Use  of  Church  Officials  and  Business  Men. — 
Nothing  will  add  more  dignity  to  the  school  than  to  have 
the  church  officials  take  an  active  interest  in  its  conduct. 
Strong  business  men  utilized  as  teachers  are  always  a 
drawing  card  for  the  young  men,  and  capable  women  are 
equally  effective  for  the  girls.  H.  H.  Pike,  superintendent 
of  St.  George's  Sunday  school.  New  York,  says:  *'Hold 
strong  men  and  women  as  teachers  ajid  you  will  hdd  the 
young  men." 


364 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WOEK 


XIII 


MISSIONARY    EDUCATION    IN    THE    SUNDAY 
SCHOOL 


RALPH  E.  DIFFENDORFER 


365 


MISSIONAEY  EDUCATION  IN  THE  SUN- 
DAY  SCHOOL 


THE  POINT  OF  VIEW 

These  chapters  are  written  from  the  point  of  view  that 
the  missionary  Hfe  and  spirit  are  natural  and  essential 
characteristics  of  all  Christian  living.  Loving  God  and 
our  fellow  men  is  the  sum  of  the  commandments.  This 
point  of  view  rejects  the  possibility  of  a  man's  being  a  real 
Christian  at  all  unless  he  is  vitally  missionary — ^yes, 
unless  he  is  vitally  a  missionary — that  is,  unless  he  has  a 
genuine  regard  for  the  needs  of  all  God's  children  and  a 
passion  for  the  spread  of  the  gospel  of  "good  news,"  and 
gives  himself  in  some  way  to  the  task,  even  unto  sacri- 
fice. The  ultimate  missionary  motive  is  a  complete  and 
satisfying  religious  experience — one  that  fills  the  be- 
liever's life  so  full  of  Christian  joy  and  happiness  that  he 
craves  for  the  whole  world  the  same  blessing.  No  person 
can  be  a  missionary  until  he  himself  has  taken  voluntarily 
the  high  purposes  of  God  for  his  own  personal  life. 

If  we  all  agree  that  the  missionary  spirit  is  the  very  es- 
sence and  core  of  Christian  living,  as  most  of  us  do,  then 
we  must  be  prepared  to  give  it  the  central  place  in  the 
educational  process.  When  parents,  teachers,  ministers 
and  other  Christian  leaders  desire  to  educate  a  generation 
of  children  and  youth  in  the  ideals  and  practice  of  Chris- 

367 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

tian  living,  the  first  question  regarding  training  in  the  true 
missionary  spirit  and  work  which  they  must  face  is:  Will 
you  accept  the  above  point  of  view  and  be  willing  to  follow 
its  implications? 

Those  of  the  present  generation  of  Christians  who  re- 
gard the  missionary  work  of  the  Church  as  something 
^'special/'  "optional,"  "irregular"  or  "over  and  above" 
the  "regular"  were  never  taught  to  regard  it  in  any  other 
terms. 

This  point  of  view,  then,  means  two  things: 

(1)  Those  who  teach  and  lead  children  and  youth  must 
give  missions  the  central  place  in  their  own  thinking  and 
living. 

(2)  The  educational  methods  and  material  used  must 
bear  this  same  essential  relation  to  all  of  those  processes 
whereby  children  and  youth  are  guided  into  complete 
Christian  living. 


368 


II 


THE  MISSIONARY  COMMITTEE  IN  THE  SUNDAY 
SCHOOL 

Ideally  there  would  be  no  place  for  a  Missionary  Com- 
mittee in  the  Sunday  school.  If  all  of  the  officers  and 
teachers  themselves  had  been  trained  in  accordance  with 
the  principles  just  mentioned  there  would  be  no  need  for 
a  ''special"  machinery  to  educate  the  Church  in  its  main 
business.  Unfortunately,  however,  this  is  not  the  case. 
Until  some  generation  produces  a  real  missionary  church 
it  will  be  necessary  for  those  who  are  interested  and  trained 
to  take  charge  of  the  educational  work  which  will  help 
to  produce  such  a  missionary  church. 

Let  all  Sunday  schools  whose  leaders  feel  they  have  not 
attained  the  ideal,  organize  strong  missionary  committees. 
Let  them  be  regularly  appointed  or  elected,  and  let  them 
be  strong  and  capable  in  educational  matters  and  sanely 
missionary. 

The  Make-Up  of  the  Committee. — ^The  committee  may 
consist  of  five  or  more  members,  as  the  size  of  the  school 
demands.  These  members  may  represent  the  diifferent 
departments  of  the  school.  The  chairman  should  be  a 
member  of  the  Church  Missionary  Committee,  a  body 
now  recommended  as  the  unifying  and  clearing  force  for 
all  the  missionary  organizations  of  the  local  church.^ 

1  See  pamphlet,  "The  Church  Missionary  Committee,"  price  5 
cents. 

369 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

General  Suggestions. — Even  though  this  committee 
may  be  considered  a  special  agency,  there  are  a  few  general 
suggestions,  implications  of  the  above  point  of  view,  which 
will  help  us  to  regard  its  work  and  the  results  as  essential 
and  not  optional: 

1.  The  appointment  of  the  committee  and  the  plans 
of  work  should  not  be  heralded  throughout  the  school  as 
a  provision  of  the  authorities  for  making  the  school  more 
missionary.  There  is  some  doubt  as  to  whether  or  not 
the  boys  and  girls  need  to  know  anything  about  the  com- 
mittee at  all. 

2.  On  the  other  hand,  the  school  oflBcers  and  teachers 
should  plan  that  the  work  of  the  committee  may  find  ex- 
pression in  the  regular  and  normal  life  of  the  school. 

3.  Thus  the  committee  itself  will  not  attempt  to  do  the 
work  of  missionary  education  in  the  school,  but  will  en- 
deavor to  interest,  arouse  and  help  each  oflficer  and  teacher 
to  incorporate  missionary  teaching  and  activity  into  his 
own  endeavor.  The  committee,  once  appointed,  should 
stand  off,  as  it  were,  and  take  stock  of  the  regular  machin- 
ery of  the  school  through  which  it  may  seek  to  accomplish 
its  ends.  Rather  than  add  a  new  department  to  the  or- 
ganization of  the  school,  it  should  seek  to  "missionarize" 
the  teachers  and  officers.  The  committee's  relationship 
will  be  suggested  in  the  diagram  on  page  307. 

Thus  the  Missionary  Committee  will  be  back  of  the 
regular  organization  of  the  school;  and  all  of  its 
methods,  material,  activities  and  service  will  come  before 
the  pupils  as  regular  and  necessary  parts  of  their  religious 
training. 

4.  Not  all  the  officers  and  teachers  will  respond  with 
offers  of  cooperation.    Whenever  any  of  these   fail  the 

370 


MISSIONARY  EDUCATION 

committee  should  seek  to  arouse  their  interest  and  win 
their  support. 

Summing  up  these  paragraphs,  it  may  be  said  that  the 
purpose  of  the  Missionary  Committee  in  a  Sunday  school 
is  to  seek  to  naturalize  the  missionary  spirit  and  the  work 
of  missions  in  the  lives  of  the  members  of  the  Sunday 
school. 


The  Sunday-school  Organization: 

Pastor 

Superintendent 

Assistant  Superintendents 

Secretary 

Treasurer 

Librarian 

Precentor 

Pianist 

Superintendents   and   Teachers 
The  Missionary  J  of  Departments: 

Committee       i  Cradle  Roll 

Beginners 
Primary 
Junior 

Intermediate 
Senior 
Adult 

Teacher  Training 
Home  Department 
Parents'  Department 


-  The  Pupils. 


371 


Ill 

GENERAL  METHODS 

By  taking  a  broad  view  of  the  educational  possibilities 
in  a  Sunday  school,  the  Missionary  Committee  will  find 
that  it  can  attain  its  aims  through  the  following  general 
methods: 

The  Exercise  of  Worship. — ^Training  in  worship  is 
one  of  the  distinguishing  features  of  the  Sunday  school. 
By  organ,  piano  or  other  instrumental  music,  the  singing 
of  hymns,  silent  and  spoken  prayer,  the  reading  of  Scrip- 
ture and  quiet  meditation  the  pupils  may  learn  how  to 
come  into  the  presence  of  God  through  Jesus  Christ  and 
to  realize  his  attitude  to  the  human  race. 

The  Development  of  a  Missionary  Atmosphere 
Through  Environment  and  Special  Occasions. — Mis- 
sionary atmosphere  is  a  silent  educational  force.  Its 
presence  or  absence  may  be  easily  felt  in  homes,  schools 
and  churches.  The  appearance  of  the  rooms,  the  decora- 
tions, the  attitude  of  the  leaders  and  teachers  of  pupils 
and  the  enthusiasm  in  any  undertaking  create  its  atmos- 
phere. 

Class  Instruction. — Knowledge  gives  right  direction 
to  activities  born  of  good  impulses.  The  highest  mis- 
sionary endeavor  demands  knowledge  of  the  needs  of 
God's  people  everywhere,  and  especially  of  those  who 

372 


MISSIONARY  EDUCATION 

pass  within  our  daily  experience.  It  demands  a  knowl- 
edge of  the  history,  manners,  customs  and  the  religious 
aspirations  of  non-Christian  peoples,  of  the  motives, 
methods  of  work,  successes  and  failures  of  missionaries, 
and  of  the  transformations  of  those  who  have  decided  to 
take  the  will  of  God  for  their  guidance  in  life. 

This  knowledge,  made  possible  by  a  wide  range  of  lit- 
erature, may  be  gained  best  by  class  instruction  and  home 
reading.  This  teaching  will,  of  course,  be  graded.  Mis- 
sionary instruction  needs  no  special  pedagogy;  in  fact,  the 
teaching  of  it  is  quite  similar  to  that  of  secular  history. 
Missions  is  but  another  word,  from  a  different  point  of 
view,  for  church  history. 

Home  Reading  with  Class  Reports. — Until  there  is 
more  adequate  provision  for  all  branches  of  religious 
education,  class  instruction  must  be  supplemented  by 
home  reading.  Even  with  a  good  curriculum  the  vast 
outreaches  of  missionary  life  and  endeavor  will  demand 
additional  reading  outside  the  classroom.  Fortunately, 
the  list  of  good  missionary  reading  books  for  all  ages  is 
increasing. 

An  Adequate  System  of  Giving.^-The  giving  of 
money  to  further  God's  work  is  made  necessary  by  the 
need  of  specialized  missionary  endeavor  and  the  impos- 
sibility of  extending  the  personal  service  of  Christians  to 
all  parts  of  the  world.  Boys  and  girls  should  early  be 
taught  the  principles  of  stewardship.  This  will  give  them 
the  right  attitude  toward  all  their  talents  and  goods;  it 
will  show  them  what  money  is  for,  and  that  it  is  a  means 
to  an  end  in  all  real  living;  and  it  will  lead  to  the  forma- 

373 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

tion  of  some  system  or  regular  method  of  giving  which, 
with  continued  practice,  may  become  habitual. 

The  Doing  of  Personal  Service. — Boys  and  girls  must 
be  taught  that  stewardship  is  applied  to  more  than 
money  and  goods.  Some  needs  of  the  world  can  be  met 
by  the  giving  of  thought,  word  and  kindly  deed,  in  acts 
of  personal  service.  It  is  diflScult  to  train  generous  givers 
of  money,  but  it  is  also  possible  for  men  and  women  to 
feel  that  the  use  of  money  satisfies  the  requirements  of 
personal  service. 

On  account  of  the  very  close  connection  between  ac- 
tivity, conduct  and  character  the  careful  planning  of 
kindly  deeds  to  those  who  are  in  need  is  one  of  the  Sun- 
day school's  greatest  educational  opportunities.  In  fact, 
if  a  Missionary  Committee  were  compelled  to  choose 
for  a  beginning  from  the  above  general  methods,  the  em- 
phasis should  be  given  to  personal  service. 

In  the  succeeding  pages  these  general  methods  will  be 
further  discussed,  and  the  order  suggested  above  will 
partially  give  way  to  treatment  by  departments  or  grades. 


374 


IV 

THE  EXERCISE  OF  WORSHIP 

Worship  in  a  Sunday  school  usually  consists  of  quiet 
music,  the  singing  of  hymns,  prayer,  reading  of  Scripture 
and  meditation.  These  exercises  are  in  charge  of  the 
general  superintendent  and  the  departmental  assistants. 
How,  then,  can  the  Missionary  Committee  reaUze  its 
aims  through  the  order  of  worship? 

Instrumental  Music. — A  loud,  boistrous,  highly  strung 
orchestra  with  dance-a-jig  music  is  not  conducive  either 
to  reverential  awe  in  the  presence  of  God  or  to  appre- 
ciation by  the  souls  of  men.  Then  why  not  aim  to  make 
use  of  the  best  music?  The  playing  of  a  tribal  melody 
of  the  American  Indians  or  the  native  air  of  a  foreign 
people  or  a  representative  selection  from  a  great  author 
who  is  Magyar,  Itahan,  French,  or  of  some  other  foreign 
nationality,  with  proper  introductory  and  explanatory 
sentences  by  the  superintendent  may  break  down  prej- 
udice and  open  the  way  to  genuine  sympathy. 

The  Singing  of  Hymns. — Not  all  of  the  best  mis- 
sionary hymns  are  found  in  that  division  of  the  hymnal 
labeled  ^'Missions."  An  examination  of  a  number  of 
popular  Sunday-school  songbooks  showed  that  not  only 
were  the  titles  of  most  of  the  songs  decidedly  individualis- 
tic, with  the  pronouns  "I,"  *'me,"  "my,"  "mine,"  etc., 
predominant,  but  also  the  sentiment  was   selfish.    The 

375 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

Missionary  Committee  can  help  the  superintendent  and 
the  precentor  to  discover  the  best  hymns,  those  conveying 
the  meanings  of  the  majesty  of  the  universal  power  and 
love  of  God,  the  breadth  of  his  mercy,  the  racial  aspects 
of  the  death  of  Christ,  the  world-wide  extension  of  the 
kingdom  of  Christ,  the  strength  of  the  Church  universal 
and  the  joy  and  blessedness  of  the  hfe  of  Christian  service. 
Such  hymns  may  be  found,  and  already  the  newer  emphasis 
on  the  altruistic  and  social  messages  of  the  gospel  are 
finding  expression  in  hymnology. 

Whether  or  not  these  hymns  convey  their  missionary 
meanings  will  depend  on  the  way  in  which  they  are  in- 
troduced. For  instance,  "The  Church's  One  Foundation" 
is  full  of  missionary  content.  Here  is  the  Church  erected 
on  one  foundation,  "Jesus  Christ  her  Lord,"  and  built 
like  any  building  of  various  and  sundry  materials,  "Elect 
from  every  nation,"  and  yet  the  whole,  Hke  a  complete 
house,  "One  o'er  all  the  earth." 

A  hymn  does  not  carry  its  message  merely  because  the 
words  are  missionary,  but  because,  having  understood  its 
meaning,  it  is  then  sung  well. 

Silent  and  Spoken  Prayer. — No  prayer  should  ever 
be  uttered  before  the  young  that  does  not  contain  some 
reference  to  missionary  enterprise  and  to  the  life  for  others. 
In  expressions  of  adoration,  thanksgiving  and  petition 
public  prayer  may  reiterate  and  reenforce  the  lessons  of 
activity  and  study. 

There  are  times, — as  after  an  effective  story  or  some 
other  public  exercise, — when,  if  the  lesson  is  missionary, 
only  silent  prayer,  guided  by  an  occasional  sentence  from 
the  leader,  will  bring  each  soul  into  the  presence  of  God. 

376 


MISSIONARY  EDUCATION 

To  be  effective,  missionary  prayer  needs  to  be  definite. 
Generalities  in  prayer  dull  the  spiritual  senses.  Personal 
references  add  to  definiteness  and  do  not  destroy  the 
dignity  and  power  of  spontaneous  prayer. 

A  school  prayer  calendar  will  help.  Take  a  sheet  of 
white  art  board  or  Bristol  board  and  print  across  the  top 
some  Scriptural  reference  to  prayer  and  then  add  columns 
as  follows: 

Name  Station  Work  Occasion 


Then  let  the  pupils,  of  their  own  initiative,  write  in  the 
names  of  missionaries  for  the  school's  calendar  for  whom 
public  prayer  may  be  offered.  Under  the  caption  "Oc- 
casion" the  pupils  may  add  the  time  and  manner  of  their 
point  of  contact  with  the  missionaries.  This  prayer 
bulletin  may  be  hung  on  the  wall  low  enough  for  all  to 
reach  and  should  have  a  pencil  attached. 

Pupils  should  also  be  encouraged,  through  the  teachers 
in  the  classes,  to  use  private  prayer  calendars.  Those 
made  by  the  pupils  themselves,  in  which  they  can  enter 
their  own  objects  for  intercession,  are  preferable. 

Scripture  Reading. — ^The  missionary  value  of  Scripture 
reading,  alternately  or  collectively,  lies  in  the  selection 
of  the  passage  and  the  appropriate  comments  by  the 
leader.  With  the  coming  of  the  Graded  Lessons  the 
opportunity  for  topical  reading  in  the  opening  exercises 
has  been  greatly  increased.    The  use  of  a  passage  of  Scrip- 

377 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

ture  on  some  missionary  occasion  or  its  influence  in  the 
life  of  a  new  convert  often  affords  a  point  of  contact  for 
effective  comments. 

It  will  be  noted  from  the  above  suggestions  that  each 
one  of  these  items  in  the  order  of  worship  needs  careful 
preparation.  This  is  the  secret,  for  unless  they  are  well 
done  it  would  be  better  not  to  attempt  them. 


378 


V 

A  MISSIONARY  ATMOSPHERE 

By  using  a  few  minutes  now  and  then  during  the  open- 
ing or  closing  exercises,  before  the  main  school,  in  the  de- 
partments or  individual  classes,  or  by  recognizing  special 
occasions,  the  Missionary  Committee  may  produce  an 
enthusiasm  about  the  missionary  enterprise  which  will 
prove  contagious.  Creating  such  an  enthusiasm  is  a  study 
in  missionary  idealism. 

Teaching  Loyalty  to  the  Kingdom. — Loyalty  to  the 
kingdom  of  God  on  earth  is  like  the  newer  patriotism  de- 
manding service  to  one's  country.  The  missionary  spirit 
is  not  dying  for  the  kingdom,  but  living  for  it,  day  by  day. 
Patriotism,  in  so  far  as  it  is  loyalty  to  national  ideals,  is 
imbibed  by  the  young  in  more  striking  ways  than  through 
the  study  of  books.  How  can  we  produce  loyalty  to  the 
ideals  of  the  world-wide  kingdom  of  Christ?  The  question 
may  be  best  answered  by  drawing  an  analogy  from  the 
efforts,  common  to  most  nations,  to  surround  growing 
youth  with  an  atmosphere  of  patriotism  and  loyalty. 
In  addition  to  the  study  of  the  history,  geography  and  gov- 
ernment of  a  country  and  of  the  biographies  of  its  great 
men  there  may  be  found  the  following  methods: 

1.  The  presence  of  the  flag  and  a  regular  salute  to  it. 

2.  The  erection  of  commemorative  monuments,  tablets 
and  statues,  and  the  dedication  of  historical  places  with 
appropriate  exercises. 

379 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

3.  The  observance  of  national  festivals,  public  days, 
etc.  which  are  historical,  epoch-making  days,  birthdays, 
memorial  days,  etc. 

4.  The  hanging  of  pictures  representing  national  events 
and  the  portraits  of  great  heroes  and  copies  of  public 
documents  on  the  walls  of  public  buildings,  schoolrooms 
and  homes. 

5.  The  organization  of  patriotic  societies  and  clubs 
among  the  boys  and  girls. 

6.  The  direction  of  parades,  demonstrations,  drills, 
exhibits  and  other  forms  of  arousing  popular  enthusiasm. 

7.  The  visits  of  government  oflBcials,  army  and  navy 
veterans,  etc.,  to  cities,  towns,  day  schools  and  homes. 

8.  The  provision  of  good  storybooks  and  papers  for 
homes  and  libraries,  containing  accounts  of  national  heroes 
and  events. 

9.  Story-telling,  especially  in  the  homes,  in  which  the 
glories  of  the  country  and  the  classic  tales  of  its  founders 
and  supporters  are  recounted. 

10.  The  cooperation  of  the  government,  the  Church, 
the  home  and  the  school  in  all  of  these  matters. 

The  application  of  the  above  points  to  the  kingdom 
of  God  on  earth,  its  beginnings,  its  long  and  marvelous 
history,  its  significant  epochs  and  its  triumphant  martyrs 
and  heroes,  ought  to  produce  an  atmosphere  conducive 
to  the  highest  missionary  education  and  service. 

When  "missionary"  is  substituted  for  "patriotic" 
in  all  of  the  different  meanings  above  an  entirely  new 
list  of  methods,  some  highly  educational,  appears. 

The  Christian  Flag. — It  may  be  necessary  to  add  a 
further  word  of  explanation  to  Number  1:  Christianity 

380 


MISSIONARY  EDUCATION 

has  no  acknowledged  emblem,  but  the  Christian  Flag  is 
well  known  and  its  symbolism  is  almost  perfect.  It  is  the 
banner  of  the  Prince  of  peace.  It  stands  for  no  creed 
or  denomination.  It  contains  no  symbol  of  warfare. 
The  ground  is  white,  representing  peace  and  purity.  In 
the  upper  corner  is  a  blue  field,  the  color  of  the  unclouded 
sky,  the  symbol  of  fidelity  and  truth.  Its  chief  device, 
the  cross  of  red,  is  the  emblem  of  Christian  sacrifice. 
The  Christian  patriot  pledges  fidelity  to  the  kingdom  of 
God  when  he  salutes  this  flag. 
With  this  flag  the  following  salute  may  be  used: 
"I  pledge  allegiance  to  my  flag,  and  to  the  Saviour  for 
whose  kingdom  it  stands,  one  brotherhood,  uniting  all 
mankind  in  service  and  love."^ 

^  Written  by  Lynn  Harold  Hough,  D.  D.,  and  first  used  by  the 
author  of  these  chapters  in  Dr.  Hough's  Sunday  school  on  Christmas 
Eve,  1908. 


381 


VI 

ADDITIONAL  PROGRAM  POSSIBILITIES 

Ten  or  fifteen  minutes  used  occasionally  before  the  main 
school,  the  departments  or  classes  having  rooms  of  their 
own,  will  give  additional  opportunities  for  missionary 
education.  Such  presentations  are,  of  course,  fragmentary 
and  more  or  less  superficial,  and  are  most  valuable  for  arous- 
ing interest  in  current  missionary  events  or  in  giving 
publicity  to  some  mission  study  and  work  already  done 
in  classes  and  departments. 

In  a  graded  school  these  so-called  programs  should  always 
be  given  by  departments.  In  an  ungraded  school  they 
should  be  planned  to  interest  the  younger  members,  and 
if  well  done  will  also  appeal  to  the  older  pupils.  Home- 
made programs  are  to  be  preferred.  The  public  pres- 
entation then  becomes  the  expression  of  work  already 
done  and  is  more  than  an  exhibition  or  show.  The  pupils 
themselves  should  be  made  responsible  for  planning  and 
carrying  out  these  programs,  a  rule  which  is  equally  appli- 
cable to  the  suggestions  in  Chapter  V.  The  following 
have  been  tried  and  proved  successful  where  adequate 
preparation  has  been  made: 

Book  Reviews. — New  missionary  books  from  the  Sun- 
day school  or  public  library  should  be  given  to  pupils 
to  read,  with  the  understanding  that  a  pubhc  review  is  to 
be  given  in  the  presence  of  other  pupils.  The  Missionary 
Committee  will  help  the  reviewers  to  prepare  this  work. 

382 


MISSIONARY  EDUCATION 

The  name  of  the  book,  the  author  and  something  about 
him,  the  theme  and  a  short  resume  of  the  story  and  a 
personal  criticism  or  recommendation  should  be  included 
in  a  good  public  book  review. 

Missionary  Current  Events. — ^These  may  involve  a 
biographical  sketch,  a  map  talk,  the  explanation  of  pic- 
tures from  magazines  and  papers,  the  use  of  a  diagram 
or  chart  enlarged  by  the  pupils  and  a  debate  between 
different  classes.  Current  events,  such  as  famine,  fire, 
flood,  plagues,  etc.,  furnish  opportunities  for  spontaneous 
giving  and  sometimes  have  serious  missionary  applica- 
tions. 

Mission-Study  Class  Reports. — A  week-night  mission- 
study  class,  a  Sunday-school  class  organized  for  mission 
study,  the  study  work  of  boys*  and  girls'  clubs,  mission 
bands  and  junior  societies  should  all  be  reported  to  the 
pupils  of  a  department  or  to  the  main  school.  This  may 
be  done  by  a  resume  of  the  course  or  by  telling  a  number 
of  stories  illustrating  the  different  topics  considered. 

Reports  of  Missionary  Service.— At  least  twice  a  year 
there  should  be  a  public  report  of  the  giving  and  per- 
sonal missionary  service  of  the  school.  There  should  be 
no  boasting  and  no  appearance  of  display.  The  motive 
of  service  in  the  face  of  need  should  prevail  throughout. 
The  character  of  these  reports  must  be  determined  locally 
in  view  of  the  kinds  and  amount  of  service  rendered. 

Demonstrations  of  Missionary  Life  and  Work. — If  well 
done  a  simple  use  of  dramatics  will  prove  very  effective. 

383 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

The  missionary,  in  his  contact  with  strange  peoples,  and 
the  reaction  of  the  heathen  mind  to  the  gospel  message 
often  yield  really  dramatic  situations  which  may  be  most 
vividly  presented  to  the  school.  They  should  always  be 
preceded  by  careful  study  of  all  the  parts  and  each  act 
and  sentence  should  be  interpreted  by  those  taking  part. 
Such  demonstrations  may  be  easily  prepared  by  members 
of  study  classes,  especially  by  young  people  and  inter- 
mediates. The  classic  stories  of  missions  lend  themselves 
to  dramatic  presentation. 

A  Missionary  Musical.— Christian  hymns  translated 
into  foreign  tongues  or  native  melodies,  either  secular  or 
Christian,  sung  in  solo  and  chorus  parts,  make  a  very  in- 
spiring program.  As  in  the  former  suggestions,  such  a 
program  is  inspiring  if  well  done;  otherwise,  it  is  farcical. 

More  Elaborate  Programs. — For  a  full  hour's  pro- 
gram or  one  for  an  evening  many  suggestions  may  be 
found  in  playing  the  games  of  foreign  children,  simple 
dramatics,  costume  parties,  lantern  lectures  (try  one  using 
boys  and  girls  for  lecturers,  assigning  four  or  five  slides 
to  eight  or  ten  different  pupils),  demonstrations  of  native 
manners  and  customs  and  the  telling  of  stories. 


384 


VII 

HOME  READING  AND  STUDY 

There  are  two  general  ways  by  which  a  missionary 
reading  campaign  may  be  started  in  a  Smiday  school. 
One  is  a  big,  popular,  enthusiastic  movement,  spurred  by  a 
contest  or  the  giving  of  prizes.  The  other  is  a  "still  hunt." 
The  latter  will  probably  produce  the  most  normal  results 
and  there  is  less  likelihood  of  a  reaction  against  missionary 
literature. 

Only  the  most  general  suggestions  can  be  given  for  a 
"still-hunt"  reading  campaign.  One  or  two  individuals 
keeping  steadily  at  it  may  get  results.  Many  of  the 
missionary  books  of  the  author  are  read  each  year  by  busi- 
ness men  and  women,  professional  people,  high-school 
students  and  younger  boys  and  girls.  In  the  back  of 
every  lending  book  is  written,  "Will  each  one  who  reads 
this  book  write  his  name  below?"  For  library  books, 
such  a  sentence  may  appear  on  a  slip  of  paper  pasted  in 
the  back. 

It  is  probably  best  to  select  two  or  three  persons  who 
have  the  ability  to  know  what  other  persons  might  be 
interested  in  the  different  books,  and  who  have  also  the 
time  and  inclination  to  read  all  the  books.  The  books 
may  be  found  in  public,  Sunday-school  or  private  libraries, 
or  may  be  purchased  by  some  special  fund  for  that  purpose. 
Suppose  the  intermediate  superintendent  decides  that  no 
boy  or  girl  should  be  promoted  from  the  Intermediate 
Department  without  having  read  at  least  three  missionary 

385 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

biographies  and  two  books  of  general  missionary  reading. 
By  displaying  all  five  books,  and  by  having  reviews  given 
before  all  the  classes  by  five  bright  pupils,  the  books  will 
be  introduced.  From  Sunddy  to  Sunday  they  should 
be  checked  up  and  reported.  Add  to  this  a  good  deal 
of  enthusiasm,  and  the  books  will  be  read. 


386 


vm 

AN  ADEQUATE  GIVING  POLICY 

This  is  one  of  the  most  difficult  and  most  debated  prob- 
lems in  a  local  church  and  one  not  satisfactorily  solved 
by  very  many  churches.  In  view  of  this  situation,  the 
author  feels  free  to  set  down  here  a  possible  giving  policy 
for  a  local  church  and  the  relation  of  the  Sunday  school 
to  it. 

A  General  Budget. — ^There  should  be  one  general 
budget  for  a  parish  or  church,  which  should  include  all 
the  benevolent  gifts  and  local  current  expenses  of  all  the 
organizations  in  the  parish.  The  amount  of  money  needed 
for  the  expenses  of  the  Sunday  school  should  be  included 
in  this  budget.  The  amount  reasonably  expected  from  the 
Sunday  school  for  its  own  expenses  and  for  its  benevo- 
lences should  be  taken  into  account  in  these  general  items. 
In  this  budget  there  would  not  appear  benevolent  items 
from  church,  Sunday  school,  Young  People's  Society, 
adult  Bible  class,  mission  band.  Junior  Society,  etc.,  but 
one  parish  item  representing  the  total  of  all  these  and 
possibly  more. 

The  Best  Envelope. — ^The  duplex  envelope  is  the  best 
collecting  device  for  such  a  giving  policy.  It  should  be 
printed  with  the  items  of  the  budget  for  both  current 

387 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

expenses  and  benevolent  gifts.    Envelopes  should  be  pro- 
vided for  every  person  in  the  parish,  old  and  young. 

The  Canvass. — ^The  simultaneous  ''e very-member"  can- 
vass should  then  be  instituted  and  an  effort  be  made  to 
reach  the  entire  parish  in  a  short  time.  Pledges  on  a 
weekly  basis  for  the  general  items  on  the  budget  should 
be  secured  from  all.  The  amounts  of  these  pledges  may 
be  easily  secured  for  each  person  and  family  by  estimating 
the  gifts  to  the  different  organizations  and  dividing  the 
total. 

Weekly  Payments. — The  weekly  payments  may  be 
made  to  any  organization  by  the  children  in  Sunday 
school  or  at  the  church  service,  but  preferably  by  all  at 
the  church  service. 

From  Such  a  Policy  These  Results  May  Be  Expected: 

1.  Would  there  not  develop  a  consciousness  of  the  unity, 
dignity  and  worth  of  the  local  church  consid^ed  as  a 
parish?  The  Sunday  school  would  then  have  a  real  chance 
to  teach  such  an  idea  and  create  such  a  consciousness. 

2.  In  many  churches  the  Sunday  school,  on  account  of 
long-standing  private  financing,  is  now  considered  by  many 
in  the  Church  as  an  outside  institution.  May  we  not 
expect  it  gradually  to  come  to  be  looked  upon  as  the 
teaching,  or  educational,  branch  of  the  whole  Church? 

3.  Sunday-school  pupils  would  develop  in  their  maturing 
days  a  sense  of  responsibility  for  the  Church  and  all  it 
stands  for.  Loyalty  to  the  Church  is  a  bigger  and  better 
thing  than  loyalty  to  a  Sunday  school,  however  efficient 
and  independent  financially  it  may  be. 

388 


MISSIONARY  EDUCATION 

4.  The  policy  probably  would  not  destroy,  but  rather 
help,  the  necessary  support  for  the  various  Church  boards 
and  benevolent  societies.  The  parish-abroad  or  station- 
plan  idea  of  giving  could  be  continued  and  very  much 
strengthened  by  this  whole-church  budget  scheme. 


389 


IX 

MISSIONARY   SUGGESTIONS  BY  GRADES 

For  Children  Under  Nine  Years  of  Age. — This  is  su- 
premely the  story  age.  Little  groups  of  children  in  mis- 
sion bands,  Sunday  schools  and  homes  may  be  entertained 
and  instructed  by  the  hour  with  simple  stories.  Child 
life  is  the  key  to  the  stories,  and  a  big  family  of  world 
children  with  one  heavenly  Father  is  the  important  theme. 
Care  must  be  exercised  not  to  provide  stories  with  adult 
content  told  in  a  childish  way.  The  stories  should  be 
illustrated  by  pictures  and  such  objects  as  will  describe 
child  life  and  make  it  attractive. 

In  planning  the  activities  for  children  under  nine  we 
must  remember  that  the  child's  world  is  limited  to  the 
home,  the  neighborhood,  the  school  and  the  church. 
The  people  with  whom  the  child  comes  into  contact  are 
parents,  neighborhood  friends,  relatives,  playmates,  teach- 
ers, the  servants  of  the  public  good,  such  as  policemen, 
letter  carriers,  firemen,  health  officers  and  that  large 
circle  of  shopkeepers  who  provide  our  food  and  clothing. 
This  is  the  child's  world.  Beyond  this  he  knows  little 
or  cares  little.  Even  if  he  learns  of  other  people  who  live 
in  other  cities  or  other  parts  of  the  country,  or  other  coun- 
tries, they  become  real  to  him  only  as  he  takes  them  into 
his  world.  The  child's  interest  in  his  world  is  in  activity, 
and  he  is  controlled  almost  entirely  by  his  instinctive 
feelings. 

390 


MISSIONARY  EDUCATION 

The  child  under  nine  can  be  taught  to  show  gratitude 
for  benefits  received,  to  help  mother  and  others  in  the 
various  home  duties;  to  show  kindness  to  animals  by  feed- 
ing the  birds,  the  households  pets  and  the  domestic  ani- 
mals of  the  field;  to  provide  flowers  for  the  sick  in  the  home 
and  the  community;  to  give  flowers  to  others  who  may  not 
be  sick,  in  order  to  add  to  their  joy  and  appreciation  of  life, 
and  to  help  the  poor  by  providing  clothing,  food,  pictures 
and  flowers.  The  older  children  may  care  for  the  younger 
ones  in  the  home,  the  school  and  the  Sunday  school. 

Especially  in  the  latter  part  of  the  period  the  teacher 
may  gradually  extend  the  child's  interest  so  as  to  include 
God's  great  family  of  children  throughout  the  world. 
Either  through  personal  observation  of  foreign  children 
in  the  community,  or  through  stories,  pictures,  objects, 
nursery  rhymes,  folklore,  games,  etc.,  the  other  children 
of  the  world  may  be  brought  into  his  life. 

For  Boys  and  Girls  Nine  to  Twelve  Years  of  Age. — ^The 
interest  in  stories  continues,  but  the  stories  are  of  a  dif- 
ferent character.  Adult  experiences  and  heroic  acts  of 
the  physical  sort  interest  boys  and  girls  of  this  age,  and 
the  tales  must  be  true  and  must  concern  big  and  wonderful 
deeds  in  order  to  excite  the  hero-worshiping  junior.  It 
is  the  memory  period,  when  the  great  names,  places, 
events,  etc.,  may  be  eagerly  learned  as  foundation  knowl- 
edge for  future  study  and  activity. 

The  organization  of  the  junior  classes  or  department  into 
a  week-day  mission  band,  study  classes  and  societies  is 
now  possible  and  should  be  emphasized.  .  The  following 
missionary  activities  have  been  reported  as  being  suc- 
cessful: impersonations  in  exercises  and  plays,  the  salute 

391 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

of  the  Christian  flag,  illustration  of  a  missionary  hymn  in 
a  notebook,  map-tracing,  the  collection  of  foreign  postage 
stamps,  post  cards  and  coins. 

Two  or  three  things  come  into  the  life  of  junior  boys 
and  girls  which  increase  the  range  of  missionary  activity 
and  service.  The  study  of  geography  and  history  based 
on  the  new  senses  of  space  and  time  gives  a  real  interest 
to  the  hitherto  undiscovered  worlds  of  the  past  and  of 
the  far  away.  Boys  and  girls  also  have  a  new  interest  in 
constructing  and  collecting  material  things  which  makes 
it  possible  to  offer  them  a  much  wider  range  of  activity. 
In  addition,  therefore,  to  the  suggestions  for  children  under 
nine,  most  of  which  are  applicable  to  these  boys  and  girls, 
the  juniors  may  collect  picture  cards  and  pictures;  make 
scrapbooks  and  picture  books  for  hospitals,  orphanages 
and  foreign  mission  stations;  collect  magazines  and  papers 
for  homes  for  the  aged  and  poor,  for  soldiers  and  sailors 
and  for  Salvation  Army  quarters;  and  construct  articles 
for  gifts,  especially  at  Christmas  and  Easter  time. 

The  junior  age  is  the  time  to  emphasize  the  systematic 
giving  of  money,  which  will  have  value  just  in  so  far  as  the 
child  realizes  that  the  money  is  his  own.  On  account  of 
the  new  interest  in  the  things  that  he  possesses  times  of 
self-denial  are  very  apropos.  Sympathy  arising  out  of 
great  disasters,  such  as  storm  and  famine,  frequently 
offers  such  opportunities. 

For  Boys  and  Girls  Thirteen  to  Sixteen  Years  of  Age. — 
In  adolescence,  new  life,  physical,  mental  and  spiritual, 
comes  to  the  individual.  Self -consciousness  becomes 
clear  and  definite,  self-feeling  is  marked  and  personality 
takes  shape.    Just  as  it  is  the  crucial  period  for  the  adop- 

392 


MISSIONARY  EDUCATION 

tion  of  personal  religion,  so  is  it  the  time  for  the  stamping 
of  character  with  the  missionary  spirit  and  ideals.  Mis- 
sionary education  is  now  different  from  that  of  former 
years.  Direct  training  of  the  missionary  motive,  the  will 
to  do  and  to  believe  and  the  desire  for  personal  service, 
must  be   considered. 

The  intermediate  is  the  gang  age.  Clubs  and  societies 
of  all  sorts  are  eagerly  formed  by  the  boys  and  girls.  The 
study  class  and  mission  band  or  circle  at  this  period  attain 
their  highest  efficiency  among  children.  They  desire 
an  active  part  in  the  organization  and  conduct  of  their 
meetings. 

For  material,  it  will  be  found  that  the  short  story  or 
incident  of  the  previous  period  will  now  give  place  to  an 
extended  and  detailed  account.  Biography  yields  the 
best  material  for  character  study.  Boys  and  girls  of  the 
early  adolescent  period  nearly  always  have  some  personal 
ideal  among  their  adult  friends,  teachers  or  parents. 
This  tendency  to  hero  worship  is  the  missionary  teacher's 
opportunity.  A  textbook  and  helps  for  the  teacher  may 
be  used.  Each  pupil  should  be  provided  with  a  book  and 
regular  meetings  should  be  scheduled.  For  missionary 
activities  the  following  have  been  reported  as  successful 
and  are  recommended :  organized  clubs  mentioned  above, 
debates,  lantern  talks  by  the  boys  and  girls  themselves, 
map-drawing,  essays  on  various  topics,  illustrated  note- 
books, missionary  stories  and  personal  contact  with  mis- 
sionaries. 

In  planning  the  activities  for  early  adolescent  boys  and 
girls  there  is  one  new  principle  which  should  be  realized 
by  all  teachers  and  parents.  Activity  and  personal  serv- 
ice will  have  value  just  in  so  far  as  they  are  a  real  ex- 

393 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

pression  of  the  child's  own  inner  desire  and  purpose.  The 
teacher  may  suggest,  make  the  appeal  or  modify  the  pu- 
pils' environment,  but  the  pupils  themselves  should  make 
the  decision.  Boys  and  girls  may  actually  observe  cases 
of  need,  discuss  what  may  be  done  and  decide  on  the  man- 
ner of  performing  the  service.  They  should  be  permitted 
to  decide  the  distribution  of  their  offerings  of  money  for 
Christian  work.  As  far  as  possible  they  should  have 
some  responsibility  in  the  local  church,  such  as  the  care 
of  the  younger  children,  volunteer  choir  service  or  acting 
as  assistants  to  teachers  and  officers.  They  may  plan  for 
a  missionary  box  or  barrel,  providing  the  articles  and  at- 
tending to  the  shipment.  In  their  organizations  they  may 
assume  places  of  responsibility  and  help  to  provide  ac- 
tivities for  those  who  are  younger  than  themselves.  The 
acts  of  service  outhned  for  the  Boy  Scouts  and  Camp  Fire 
Girls  could  be  appropriately  attached  to  the  religious 
instruction  in  the  home  and  the  Sunday  school. 

For  Young  People. — Of  all  the  periods  of  development 
mentioned,  this  age  offers  the  most  unique  opportunity 
to  the  missionary  teacher.  It  is  the  time  of  life  just  before 
the  assumption  of  the  tasks  of  manhood  and  womanhood, 
when  life  work  is  usually  decided.  It  is  the  most  unselfish 
period  of  life,  a  fact  well  noted  in  the  beginnings  of  love- 
making  between  the  sexes.  The  romantic  in  literature  has 
a  keen  interest.  New  social  duties  exclude  other  things, 
and  there  seems  to  be  a  falling  away  of  interest  in  religious 
matters.  Study  circles  are  almost  impossible  and  organ- 
izations suffer.  Much  personal  work  must  be  done  to 
start  study  classes.  If  the  curriculum  or  course  offered 
is  worth  while  from  the  young  people's  standpoint,  and  if 

394 


MISSIONARY  EDUCATION 

the  leader  is  acceptable,  there  will  be  suflBcient  reward 
for  holding  a  class. 

For  study  classes  such  topics  as  life-work  questions, 
the  present-day  problems  of  the  kingdom,  sketches  of  the 
more  romantic  lives  of  missionaries  and  social  problems 
of  the  community  are  suggested,  and  have  been  found 
most  satisfactory. 

The  missionary  activities  may  take  the  form  of  mission- 
ary socials,  musicals,  dramatizations,  tableaux,  debates, 
reading  circles,  original  essays,  personal  investigations  and 
the  study  class. 

The  social  and  altruistic  feelings  are  now  naturally 
active.  The  permanency  of  these  fundamental  impulses 
wdll  depend  upon  their  use  in  this  period.  The  oppor- 
tunities for  service  will  be  limited  only  by  the  time  and  the 
ability  of  the  young  people  to  carry  them  out.  There 
are  one  or  two  points  of  difference,  however,  between  the 
kind  of  things  which  young  men  and  women  should  be 
given  to  do  and  those  provided  for  boys  and  girls.  Young 
people  may  be  asked  to  assume  definite  responsibility  for 
work.  The  activities  heretofore  suggested  should  be  con- 
tinued, with  the  change  of  emphasis  on  minuteness  of 
organization  and  the  personal  responsibility  of  the  pupils. 
Young  people  may  teach  Sunday-school  classes,  lead 
mission-study  classes,  assist  in  settlements,  boys'  and 
girls'  groups  and  playground  work.  They  may  also  be 
organized  to  meet  special  needs  in  the  charitable,  philan- 
thropic and  benevolent  work  of  the  community  and 
church.  They  will  rally  particularly  to  the  suggestion  of 
the  support  of  some  special  object  in  the  mission  field, 
such  as  a  teacher  in  a  school,  or  the  endowment  of  a  room 
in  a  hospital,  or  the  care  of  some  children  in  an  orphanage. 

395 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

We  should  also  seek  to  interest  the  young  people  in 
the  problems  and  principles  which  underlie  the  needs  of 
the  world.  Their  tendency  to  philosophize  about  every- 
thing shows  that  their  minds  are  dwelling  on  bigger  mat- 
ters than  the  mere  alleviation  of  a  single  case  of  poverty 
or  sickness.  In  the  same  manner  they  may  be  interested 
in  the  spiritual  needs  of  the  people  of  the  world,  and  new 
motives  may  be  aroused  for  adequately  supporting  the 
missionary  enterprise. 

For  the  Adult  Classes. — ^Though  life  is  not  yet  mature, 
the  period  above  twenty-one  years  of  age  is  generally 
spoken  of  as  adult.  The  age  of  twenty-five  or  twenty-six 
usually  sees  the  close  of  adolescence,  the  last  period  being 
characterized  by  the  final  stages  in  the  maturing  of  the 
body  and  mind.  The  differences  between  the  character- 
istics of  the  few  years  before  twenty-five  and  the  years 
after  are  of  degree  rather  than  kind.  The  very  fact 
that  by  this  time  nature  has  completed  the  structure  of 
the  human  body  indicates  that  for  the  first  time  in  life 
it  is  ready  to  bear  the  burden  of  the  actual  work  of  life. 
Practically  all  of  the  functions  are  mature. 

In  the  realm  of  the  intellect  reason  is  dominant.  At 
first  the  child  learns  largely  by  imitation  and  emulation. 
Then  in  early  adolescence  he  creates  for  himself  a  personal 
ideal.  Later  he  projects  his  own  ideal  or  an  idealized 
self  so  characteristic  of  young  people  of  sixteen  to  twenty. 
Still  later,  his  guides  to  conduct  are  the  principles  which 
he  forms  when  ideals  are  realized  in  activity.  The  inter- 
est in  family  life,  politics,  relation  of  capital  and  labor, 
community  welfare,  the  Church  and  her  work  seems  to 
indicate  that  social  feeling  has  reached  a  higher  stage. 

396 


MISSIONARY  EDUCATION 

Add  to  the  above  that  characteristic  element  of  Ameri- 
can life,  the  tendency  to  organization,  and  it  will  at  once 
be  seen  that  if  a  man's  eariy  training  is  good  his  natural 
interests,  characteristics  and  God-given  place  in  the  worid 
as  a  member  of  society  all  point  to  the  part  which  he  is 
to  take  in  the  actual  constructive  work  laid  down  in  the 
program  of  the  Christian  Church. 

Our  church  life  ought  to  be  so  planned  as  to  utilize  for 
the  purpose  of  useful  work  in  building  up  the  kingdom  of 
God  every  one  of  its  adult  members.  Missions  are  the 
Christian  Church  at  work  in  the  world.  Missions  may  for 
convenience  be  divided  into  local,  state,  home  and  foreign, 
which  may  be  necessary  geographical  distinctions.  The 
missionary  enterprise  furnishes,  however,  the  field  in  which 
each  mature  Christian  should  find  his  particular  place 
and  work. 


397 


HELPS  FOR  THE  MISSIONARY  COMMITTEE 

For  all  of  the  methods  suggested  in  these  chapters  there 
has  been  provided  abundant  help.  There  are  books  of 
methods,  annotated  lists  of  reading  and  study  books, 
pictures  with  stories,  charts,  maps,  periodicals,  prayer 
circles,  lantern  lectures  for  purchase  or  rent  and,  above 
all,  the  most  wonderful  opportunities  for  service  and  for 
gifts  of  money.  Let  the  Missionary  Committee  acquaint 
itself  with  the  literature  available.  Letters  of  inquiry 
to  the  Denominational  Sunday-school  and  Publishing 
Agency  and  the  Denominational  Home  or  Foreign  Mission 
Board  will  bring  the  needed  information. 


398 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 


XIV 
WORSHIP  IN  THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

BY 

Rev.  jay  S.  STOWELL 


399 


WORSHIP  IN  THE   SUNDAY  SCHOOL^ 


I 

THE  NEED  AND  THE  OPPORTUNITY 

The  Lack  of  Worship. — Many  persons  of  wealth  stand 
in  famous  art  galleries  each  year,  but  their  eyes  are  holden. 
Money  will  not  reveal  to  them  the  beauties  which  the 
humblest  may  see  when  he  has  been  trained  in  the  appre- 
ciation of  art.  Others  listen  to  great  musical  productions 
and  hear  them  not,  while  many  Christians  attend  services 
of  worship  and  worship  not.  The  lack  of  ability  to  par- 
ticipate in  and  appreciate  worship  is  said  to  be  peculiarly 
characteristic  of  Americans.  It  has  been  said  that  we 
judge  the  value  of  a  church  service  by  the  profundity  of 
the  sermon,  or  by  the  aesthetic  elements  of  the  service,  but 
that  we  do  not  appreciate  worship.  We  may  deny  the 
charge,  but  many  of  us  find  ourselves  unable  to  enter  into 
the  ordinary  service  of  worship  very  fully  or  to  get  from 
such  a  service  the  values  which  it  should  have  for  us.  To 
a  certain  extent  our  peculiarly  practical  mind  may  account 
for  this,  and  yet  this  is  hardly  a  sufiicient  cause.  Worship 
like  all  the  other  worth-while  things  in  life  reveals  its  values 
only  to  those  who  have  been  trained  in  its  principles  and 
practice.     Possibly  the  lack  is  at  the  point  of  training. 

The  Sunday  School  and  Worship. — More  and  more  we 
rely  upon  the  Sunday  school  to  furnish  correct  religious 
education  for  our  boys  and  girls.  Yet  in  the  majority  of 
Sunday  schools  worship  is  an  element  practically  unknown, 

401 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

and  the  idea  of  training  boys  and  girls  in  worship  has  never 
once  permeated.  For  a  long  time  we  centered  our  atten- 
tion in  the  Sunday  school  upon  instruction.  More 
recently  we  are  coming  to  see  the  value  of  training  pupils 
in  Christian  living.  Possibly  one  of  the  next  great  em- 
phases will  be  upon  training  in  Christian  worship.  How- 
ever, only  a  beginning  has  been  made. 

The  Function  of  Worship. — In  a  certain  sense  all  life  is, 
or  should  be,  worship.  In  this  same  sense  the  entire 
Sunday-school  session  is  a  service  of  worship.  Through 
long  experience,  however,  Christians  have  separated  cer- 
tain attitudes  and  activities  which,  grouped  together,  are 
known  as  worship.  We  immediately  think  of  such  ele- 
ments as  praise,  prayer,  adoration,  thanksgiving,  reverence 
and  the  like.  Surely  the  development  of  such  attitudes 
should  be  part  of  the  young  Christian's  training. 

The  idea  of  w^orship  has  undergone  many  changes  as  it 
has  evolved.  We  once  thought  of  worship  a-s  a  duty  which 
we  owed  to  God.  It  was  associated  with  the  presentation 
of  a  gift  to  God.  Without  emphasizing  less  our  obligation 
to  our  Creator  and  Father,  we  have  come  to  feel  that 
worship  is  more  than  a  duty.  It  is  a  privilege — the 
privilege  of  social  fellowship  with  God.  The  satisfaction 
of  joining  with  others  in  fellowship  with  God  should  be  one 
of  the  great  joys  of  the  kingdom.  Can  we  help  our  pupils 
to  share  in  this  joy? 

Worship  is  not,  however,  an  end  in  itself,  but  by  making 
God  and  his  purposes  a  reality  in  the  life  of  the  Christian, 
it  tends  to  unify,  to  solemnize  and  to  give  purpose  to  all  of 
life.  The  test  of  worship  is  always  to  be  found  in  its  effect 
upon  life.     It  makes  the  spiritual  world  a  reality,  but  it 

402 


WORSHIP  IN  THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

does  more  than  this.  It  helps  to  create  ideals  and  to 
crystallize  desires,  ambitions  and  purposes.  It  moves  the 
feelings  and,  by  creating  or  intensifying  certain  attitudes 
of  mind,  modifies  all  the  activities  of  one's  life.  It  thus 
supplements  and  gives  effectiveness  to  our  teaching  of 
Christian  truth. 

Need  of  Training  in  Worship. — Training  in  worship  is, 
therefore,  a  most  essential  element  in  the  education  of  the 
growing  Christian,  for  we  may  not  assume  that  a  pupil  can 
get  the  values  from  a  service  of  worship  without  training. 
It  is  important,  then,  that  we  provide  in  the  church  school 
a  time  when  the  pupil  can  worship  and  also  receive  train- 
ing in  worship.  This  worship  is  not  and  should  not  be  a 
substitute  for  the  regular  service  of  worship  in  the  local 
church,  but  rather  a  preparation  for  the  fullest  participa- 
tion in  the  regular  church  service.  Careful  attention 
should  be  given  to  worship  up  to  and  including  the  inter- 
mediate years  and  probably  into  the  senior  period.  If 
the  work  in  the  Sunday  school  is  closely  correlated  with 
the  other  activities  of  the  church  it  may  be  that  for  the 
senior  and  adult  years  the  service  of  worship  in  the  Sunday 
school  will  be  an  unnecessary  and  undesirable  duplication 
of  the  regular  church  service.  It  is  possible  that  the  time 
in  these  departments  will  be  best  devoted,  therefore,  to 
other  matters.    Local  conditions  will  determine  this. 

The  Time  Available. — If  there  is  a  need,  then,  for  wor- 
ship which  shall  be  genuine  worship  and  at  the  same  time 
a  training  in  worship,  is  there  time  available  for  this 
service  in  the  hour  allotted  to  the  Sunday-school  session? 
A  careful  study  of  the  use  of  the  sixty  or  more  minutes 

403 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

in  the  Sunday-school  session  will  reveal  some  interesting 
facts.  In  one  large  school  where  such  a  study  was  recently 
made  it  was  discovered  that  approximately  forty-five  of 
the  sixty  minutes  of  a  particular  session  were  used  for 
activities  which  were  of  no  value,  for  items  which  might 
better  have  been  attended  to  elsewhere,  or  for  activities 
the  purpose  of  which  no  one  in  the  school  knew.  This  may 
have  been  an  exceptional  case,  but  careful  study  would 
reveal  interesting  facts  in  most  unexpected  places. 

Present  Purposes  Inadequate. — It  would  be  illuminat- 
ing if  one  could  by  some  magical  process  secure  a  pano- 
ramic view  of  the  purposes  which  representative  Sunday- 
school  superintendents  have  in  mind  on  a  given  Sunday 
morning  so  far  as  these  purposes  relate  to  the  service  com- 
monly known  as  the  ''opening  and  closing  exercises"  of 
the  Sunday  school.  Some  superintendents  would  be 
waiting  until  the  arrival  of  a  suJfficient  number  of  pupils 
and  teachers  to  begin  the  class  work.  Others  would  be 
attempting  to  "get  the  pupils  into  a  proper  frame  of  mind" 
for  the  study  of  the  lesson.  More  definite  and  more 
worthy  motives  would  also  appear.  Doubtless  there 
would  be  many  blank  spaces  on  the  picture,  for  it  is  fair 
to  believe  that  many  Sunday-school  superintendents  have 
never  yet  decided  what  they  attempt  to  accomplish  by 
means  of  the  general  exercises  of  their  schools,  and  they 
would  be  troubled  if  they  were  asked  to  give  a  valid  reason 
for  these  exercises.  In  some  cases  these  "general  exer- 
cises" have  become  a  habit  or  a  tradition,  and  if  any  clear 
purpose  were  ever  back  of  them  it  has  long  since  been 
forgotten. 

A  commonly  accepted  idea  is  that  the  opening  service 
404 


WORSHIP  IN  THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

IS  for  generating  enthusiasm.  Dr.  Herbert  F.  Evans  has 
said:  ''The  opening  'exercises,'  as  they  are  fittingly  called, 
must  be  lively,  cheery  and  varied.  Nothing  must  be 
done  which  might  fail  to  be  an  arouser  of  enthusiasm. 
The  successful  business  booster  is  often  regarded  as  a  most 
successful  Sunday-school  superintendent.  So  a  hymn 
book  is  selected  with  lively  songs.  The  music  may  be 
execrable,  .  .  .  the  words  may  be  meaningless,  but  if 
the  pupils  'take  hold'  .  .  .  it  is  a  success." 

Few  superintendents  could  state  with  convincing  power 
their  reason  for  having  a  closing,  as  well  as  an  opening, 
service.  Without  doubt  this  is  a  desirable  plan  for  many 
schools,  but  can  we  afford  to  take  up  any  of  the  valuable 
Sunday-school  period  for  an  activity  the  purpose  of  which 
no  one  in  the  school  could  state  clearly?  Only  recently 
it  was  observed  that  in  one  school  some  ten  minutes  was 
taken  from  an  already  ridiculously  short  lesson  period  in 
order  to  provide  time  for  a  closing  "exercise."  More 
than  five  of  these  ten  minutes  were  devoted  to  the  assem- 
bling of  the  school  from  the  various  classrooms.  A  hymn 
was  selected  at  random.  Owing  to  the  long  time  taken  for 
assembling  the  school  for  this  supposedly  valuable  service 
only  a  portion  of  the  hymn  could  be  used.  Observation 
showed  that  hardly  ten  per  cent  of  the  pupils  were  par- 
ticipating in  the  singing.  Most  of  them  were  entirely 
concerned  with  other  matters.  The  school  was  then  closed 
with  the  Mizpah  benediction.  So  far  as  any  human 
intellect  could  discern,  the  minutes  taken  in  assembling 
the  school  were  wasted  and  those  taken  up  with  the  sing- 
ing of  the  hymn  were  much  worse  than  wasted,  because 
they  were  devoted  to  the  encouragement  of  an  indifferent 
and  irreverent  attitude  toward  worship. 

405 


II 

PROGRAM  ESSENTIALS 

Elimination  and  Segregation  Necessary. — If  a  careful 
study  of  the  use  of  the  time  of  the  Sunday-school  session 
is  made,  it  will  in  most  cases  be  found  that  a  worship 
period  of  from  ten  to  twenty  minutes  can  easily  be  in- 
cluded in  the  Sunday-school  hour  and  there  will  still  re- 
main more  time  for  the  use  of  the  teachers  than  they  have 
previously  had.  This  will  necessitate  the  elimination  of 
everything  from  the  Sunday-school  service  which  does  not 
make  a  genuine  contribution  to  the  life  of  the  pupils. 
This  does  not  mean  necessarily  that  everything  in  the 
service  must  be  eliminated  except  worship  and  the  class 
period.  It  does  require,  however,  that  those  various  ele- 
ments shall  be  segregated,  and  that  we  shall  not  try  to  en- 
liven our  services  of  worship  by  making  an  announcement 
of  the  victory  of  the  school  baseball  team  the  past  week, 
giving  our  ideas  as  to  the  best  place  for  holding  the  Sunday- 
school  picnic,  or  transacting  other  business  which  is  often 
included  in  the  Sunday-school  service.  These  items  are 
all  good  in  themselves  and  many  times  they  should  be 
brought  to  the  attention  of  the  entire  school.  They  are 
not  the  matters,  however,  which  tend  to  promote  a  wor- 
shipful spirit  and  they  can  come  into  a  service  of  worship 
only  as  an  interruption. 

In  arranging  the  program  for  the  day  it  will  be  desirable 
for  the  superintendent  to  group  carefully  those  elements 
of  the  service  which  are  worshipful,  and  then  to  make  it 
clear  that  the  other  parts  of  the  service  are  not  a  part  of 
this  service  of  worship.     There  are  several  ways  in  which 

406 


WORSHIP  IN  THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

this  can  be  done.  If  different  rooms  are  used  this  in  itself 
is  sufficient.  If  the  same  room  is  used  for  the  service  of 
worship  and  for  the  other  activities  of  the  school,  the  posi- 
tion of  the  leader  of  the  service  will  help  to  make  the  dis- 
tinction clear.  He  may  stand  back  of  the  reading  desk 
while  he  conducts  the  service  of  worship,  and  then  assume 
a  position  in  front  of  it  as  he  gives  the  necessary  announce- 
ments, receives  reports  or  conducts  any  desired  drill. 

The  Best  Time. — Conditions  are  so  varied  that  it  can 
hardly  be  said  that  there  is  any  one  best  time  during  the 
Sunday-school  hour  for  the  period  of  worship.  Some 
schools  use  the  first  fifteen  or  twenty  minutes  for  it  and 
the  experience  of  the  author  would  lead  him  to  approve 
this  plan.  There  may  well  be  conditions,  however,  under 
which  the  worship  should  be  reserved  for  the  closing  mo- 
ments of  the  session.  Some  schools  place  it  in  the  middle 
of  the  hour.  This  plan  is  particularly  good  for  the  younger 
grades.  The  first  part  of  the  hour  may  then  be  devoted  to 
the  examining  of  home  work,  marking  class  books,  taking 
the  offering,  talking  over  class  plans  and  transacting 
necessary  class  business.  The  boys  and  girls  then  assemble 
for  the  period  of  worship.  The  teaching  of  the  lesson 
follows.  The  hour  is  thus  broken  up  into  several  parts, 
and  it  is  found  that  it  is  less  fatiguing  for  the  younger 
pupils.  Different  situations  will  demand  different  plans. 
The  essential  thing  is  that  the  period  shall  be  a  definite 
period  and  that  the  spirit  shall  be  worshipful  throughout. 

The  Place. — Since  environment  has  much  to  do  with 
the  creating  of  a  worshipful  atmosphere,  the  place  selected 
for  holding  the  service  of  worship  is  important.    The 

407 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

architecture  of  the  main  church  auditorium  is  designed 
particularly  with  this  thought  in  mind,  and  there  seems  to 
be  no  good  reason  why  the  Sunday  school  should  not  have 
access  to  this  auditorium  for  the  period  of  worship.  The 
room  and  furnishings  will  become  a  real  asset  to  the  ser- 
vice. This  is  particularly  true  where  it  is  possible  for  the 
pupils  to  gather  here  for  worship  and  in  the  regular  Sunday- 
school  room  for  the  other  w^ork  of  the  school.  In  many 
cases  the  question  of  room  is  already  decided,  as  only  one 
place  is  available.  The  spirit  of  worship  can  be  developed 
even  under  the  most  adverse  conditions.  It  may  be  said, 
however,  that  when  movable  chairs  on  bare  floors  are 
used,  and  when  hats,  umbrellas,  wraps  and  even  hymn 
books  are  scattered  about,  these  are  likely  to  be  a  handi- 
cap to  the  service. 

Unity  Necessary. — As  we  examine  the  program  of  the 
average  Sunday  school  such  elements  are  found  as  singing, 
prayer,  responsive  reading,  special  music  and  the  like. 
Any  one  of  these  elements  may  or  may  not  be  worshipful 
according  to  its  use.  It  will  be  found  that  more  than  the 
mere  segregation  of  these  possible  elements  of  worship  is 
necessary.  In  some  schools  it  will  be  discovered  that  the 
hymns  have  been  selected  at  random,  that  the  prayer  has 
been  offered  without  previous  thought  and  that  there  has 
been  no  attempt  to  unify  the  various  elements  of  the  ser- 
vice. A  successful  service  of  worship  can  hardly  be  con- 
ducted thus.  Unity  is  one  of  the  first  essentials.  Every 
part  of  the  service,  the  hymns,  prayer.  Scripture,  the  talk 
by  the  leader,  and  any  other  part  which  may  be  included, 
must  be  selected  with  one  central  theme  in  mind.  (For 
suggestions  as  to  suitable  themes  see  page  452.) 

408 


WORSHIP  IN  THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

Dignity. — A  program  must  have  more  than  unity,  how- 
ever; it  must  also  have  dignity.  We  cannot  well  include 
any  element  in  the  service  which  is  unworthy  of  the  God 
with  whom  we  would  have  communion.  It  is  in  our  sing- 
ing that  the  dignity  of  the  service  is  likely  to  suffer  most. 
In  the  light  of  this  thought  of  communion  how  unsatis- 
factory seem  some  of  the  sentimental  jingles  which  we  have 
sung  to  poorly  written  music.  Doubtless  fewer  hymns  will 
be  used  in  the  course  of  a  year  in  the  future,  but  these 
hymns  will  be  selected  with  far  greater  care,  both  from  the 
standpoint  of  their  poetical  dignity,  their  musical  worth 
and  the  value  of  the  religious  ideas  expressed. 

It  may  be  best  to  give  up  the  use  of  hymn  books  en- 
tirely, especially  in  the  junior  grades.  The  hymns  should 
be  committed  to  memory  at  this  time.  If  necessary,  the 
words  can  be  printed  on  separate  cards  or  sheets.  Four  or 
five  hymns  which  are  to  be  used  during  a  given  period  of 
the  year  may  be  printed  on  one  card.  The  words  can  then 
be  taught  to  the  pupils,  either  in  the  homes  or  in  the  classes. 

It  is  essential  that  the  pupils  understand  in  detail  the 
meaning  of  every  line  and  word  of  the  hymn.  This  can 
be  explained  at  the  time  when  the  words  are  learned.  We 
have  too  much  singing  in  our  churches  that  is  purely  a 
vocal  exercise,  lacking  entirely  in  the  intellectual  and  very 
largely  in  the  emotional  element.  We  have  trained  our 
boys  and  girls  in  this  indifferent  attitude  toward  religious 
music  by  using  a  large  number  of  hymns  the  meaning  of 
which  they  did  not  understand.  They  have  repeated  the 
words  which  were  taught  them  or  which  they  read  with- 
out appreciating  their  significance.  Probably  in  no  case 
should  a  hymn  be  sung  until  its  meaning  has  been  made 
clear. 

409 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

Of  perhaps  equal  importance  to  the  choosing  of  the  hymn 
itself  is  the  selection  of  the  tune  to  which  it  is  sung.  It  is 
easy  to  relate  the  child's  conception  of  worship  with  good 
music  if  this  association  is  made  early,  but  it  is  hard  to 
establish  such  a  connection  when  the  child  has  once  come 
to  associate  worship  with  undignified  music. 

Purpose  and  Adaptation. — A  program  may  have  both 
unity  and  dignity,  however,  and  still  be  inadequate  for 
use  in  the  Sunday  school.  It  must  have  a  very  definite 
purpose,  and  it  must  be  adapted  to  the  interests  of  the 
particular  group  of  pupils  who  are  to  share  in  it.  Unless 
the  leader  clearly  conceives  the  purpose  of  the  service  it  is 
doubtful  if  any  very  good  results  will  be  achieved,  and 
unless  the  interests  of  the  pupils  are  considered  the  service 
will  be  rendered  futile  through  inattention. 

Some  one  has  said,  "We  are  not  to  worship  at  our 
pupils  or  before  them,  but  with  them."  It  becomes  neces- 
sary, therefore,  for  the  leader  to  assume  as  far  as  possible 
the  viewpoint  of  the  child.  Some  leaders  seem  to  lack 
the  necessary  imagination  to  do  this,  and  it  is  doubtful 
whether  a  leader  with  this  lack  can  ever  successfully  con- 
duct worship  in  the  Sunday  school.  Every  part  of  the 
service,  even  to  the  detailed  wording  of  the  prayer,  must 
be  arranged  from  the  pupil's  standpoint.  Words  which 
the  pupil  understands  must  be  used  and  the  matters  in 
which  he  is  interested  must  be  considered.  It  is  easy,  by 
a  failure  to  adapt  the  service  of  worship  to  the  pupil's  inter- 
est and  needs,  to  give  him  the  idea  that  the  values  of 
worship  are  for  adults  and  not  for  himself  and  thus  to 
train  him  in  a  false  attitude  toward  worship. 


410 


Ill 

A  SAMPLE  PROGRAM 

A  Sample  Program. — There  is  no  one  type  of  service 
which  can  claim  preeminence  above  every  other  type, 
especially  since  the  conditions  in  local  schools  vary  so 
widely.  A  service  similar  to  the  following  has  been  used 
frequently  by  the  author  and  it  may  prove  suggestive. 

1.  Processional. — ^The  boys  and  girls  met  previous  to  the 
time  appointed  for  the  service  in  an  appropriate  room 
cared  for  by  an  attendant.  Here  they  placed  their  coats, 
hats,  umbrellas  and  rubbers,  and  were  thus  left  free  for 
unhampered  participation  in  the  service.  At  the  ap- 
pointed hour,  the  whole  school  marched,  a  choir  of  children 
leading,  to  the  main  auditorium.  An  appropriate  pro- 
cessional was  sung,  and  this  continued  until  the  pupils 
had  entered  the  room  and  were  ready  to  be  seated  and  bow 
their  heads  for  the  opening  sentence. 

2.  Opening  Sentence. — This  was  either  sung  by  the  choir 
or  repeated  by  the  school  with  bowed  heads.  One  favor- 
ite sentence  was:  "The  Lord  is  in  his  holy  temple:  let  all 
the  earth  keep  silence  before  him." 

3.  The  Lord's  Prayer. — With  heads  still  bowed  the 
entire  school  joined  in  the  Lord's  Prayer. 

4.  Psalm. — Naturally  there  could  not  be  a  wide  selec- 
tion of  psalms  as  these  were  all  recited  from  memory,  and 
it  was  necessary  for  the  teachers  to  attend  to  this  memory 
work  at  some  time  during  the  class  hour  or  at  another 
period  appointed  by  them.    There  was  no  teaching  of 

411 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

psalms  during  the  period  of  worship.  Such  psalms  as 
the  First,  the  Twenty-third,  the  One  Hundredth  and 
others  became  great  favorites.  Within  a  comparatively 
short  time  it  was  found  that  there  was  a  considerable 
range  of  choice,  but  there  was  little  attempt  to  crowd  the 
pupils  in  this  work.  Sometimes  one  psalm  was  used  con- 
tinuously for  a  month.  This  was  found  to  be  especially 
appropriate  at  certain  seasons  of  the  year,  such  as  Thanks- 
giving, when  the  One  Hundredth  Psalm  was  used  for  four 
or  five  weeks.  Sometimes  other  selections  of  Scripture 
were  used,  such  as  the  Beautitudes,  a  parable  of  Jesus,  or 
an  appropriate  responsive  reading. 

This  part  of  the  service  had  to  be  planned  some  weeks 
in  advance  so  that  the  teachers  might  teach  the  words 
and  meaning  of  the  Scripture  selection  to  the  pupils. 
This  prepared  them  for  an  intelligent  and  hearty  par- 
ticipation in  the  service. 

5.  Hymn. — In  the  singing  of  this  hymn  the  entire  school 
participated.  No  hymn  books  were  used.  One  reason 
for  this  was  the  necessity  of  using  many  different  sources 
in  order  to  get  good  hymns.  If  the  hymn  was  relatively 
new,  cards  with  the  words  printed  thereon  were  available. 
Such  hymns  as  "We've  a  story  to  tell  the  nations," 
"Come,  ye  thankful  people,  come,"  "Rejoice,  ye  pure  in 
heart,"  "We  plow  the  fields  and  scatter,"  "It  came  upon 
the  midnight  clear,"  "Joy  to  the  world,"  and  so  forth, 
were  used  again  and  again  at  proper  seasons  of  the  year, 
and  the  children  grew  very  fond  of  them. 

6.  Talk  or  Story. — Each  Sunday  from  three  to  five 
minutes  were  devoted  to  a  talk  or  story  which  had  for  its 
purpose  the  creation  of  the  particular  attitude  toward 
which  the  entire  service  was  aiming.     Usually  these  talks 

412 


WORSHIP  IN  THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

were  chosen,  and  in  fact  the  entire  service  arranged,  on  the 
basis  of  the  great  seasons  of  the  year.  For  a  series  of  weeks 
previous  to  Thanksgiving  thought  was  directed  with  the 
one  purpose  of  creating  a  genuinely  thankful  attitude  on 
the  part  of  the  pupils.  An  appropriate  series  of  talks  and 
stories  was  also  suggested  by  Christmas,  by  Lincoln's 
and  Washington's  birthdays,  by  Easter,  by  the  spring- 
time and  other  occasions  of  the  year.  There  was  no  at- 
tempt to  have  any  close  correlation  between  the  thought 
of  these  services  and  the  work  of  the  class  hour.  The 
material  for  these  stories  and  talks  was  secured  from  the 
Bible,  from  missionary  literature,  from  collections  of 
stories  for  children,  from  real  life  and  from  many  other 
sources.  On  rare  occasions  the  time  for  the  talk  was  given 
to  the  rendering  of  an  appropriate  devotional  selection  on 
the  organ.  This  was,  of  course,  preceded  by  a  brief  ac- 
count of  the  selection  to  be  used  and  its  purpose. 

7.  Prayer, — This  was  offered  by  the  superintendent. 
It  was  thought  out  and  written  out  in  advance,  although 
it  was  not  read.  It  included  such  petitions  as  related 
particularly  to  the  needs  and  aspirations  of  the  boys  and 
girls  in  their  homes,  at  public  school,  on  the  street  and  in 
all  their  various  relationships. 

8.  Recessional. — ^The  choir  led  in  the  recessional  and 
the  classes  passed  directly  to  their  classrooms. 

In  this  particular  school  there  was  no  other  assembly, 
so  that  it  was  necessary  sometimes  to  make  public  an- 
nouncements. It  was  found,  however,  that  most  of  the 
announcements  could  be  given  better  by  the  teachers 
during  the  class  hour.  If  it  became  necessary  to  give 
announcements,  this  was  done  just  before  the  recessional, 
and  the  leader  came  from  behind  the  reading  desk  and 

413 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

assumed  a  new  position  so  that  the  school  would  under- 
stand that  this  was  not  a  regular  part  of  the  service  of 
worship.  The  entire  service,  including  the  processional 
and  recessional,  did  not  exceed  twenty  minutes  in  length. 
This  left  abundant  time  in  the  classes  for  the  extra  work 
of  teaching  the  psalms  and  the  hymns  and  for  necessary 
instruction  relative  to  the  nature  and  purpose  of  worship, 
in  addition  to  the  teaching  of  the  lesson  of  the  day. 


414 


IV 

A  FEW  SUGGESTIONS 

Instruction  in  Worship. — It  was  found  that  instruction 
in  worship  could  be  included  as  a  part  of  the  service  of 
worship  itself  without  interfering  in  any  way  with  the 
spirit  of  this  service.  A  few  words  before  the  reciting  of 
the  psalm  were  enough  to  insure  that  the  attention  of  the 
pupils  would  be  given  to  the  psalm.  An  appropriate 
explanation  as  the  hymn  was  announced  relative  to  the 
meaning  of  the  hymn  and  the  way  that  it  should  be  sung 
seemed  rather  to  add  to  than  to  take  from  the  service. 
In  this  incidental  way  the  pupils  received  a  large^amount  of 
instruction,  which  could  be  put  to  immediate  use  in  their 
practice  of  worship.  Sometimes  the  talk  by  the  superin- 
tendent centered  around  some  portion  of  the  service,  such 
as  prayer  and  its  meaning  for  boys  and  girls. 

Themes  for  Worship. — The  best  themes  for  worship 
were  found  to  be  those  which  center  around  the  great  undis- 
puted ideas  of  Christianity.  We  come  most  naturally  into 
communion  with  God  when  we  think  his  thoughts.  These 
thoughts,  so  far  as  they  relate  to  the  meaning  of  the  Chris- 
tian religion  forthe  child,  may  concern  kindness,  helpfulness 
in  the  home,  honesty  in  school,  unselfishness  toward  play- 
mates, the  practice  of  prayer,  or  interest  in  people  in  other 
communities  and  other  lands.  In  the  intermediate  and 
senior  years  they  will  concern  the  needs  of  the  world, 
particularly  as  these  relate  to  the  choosing  of  a  life  work 

415 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

or  the  assuming  of  responsibility  for  certain  needs  in  the 
church  or  community. 

Information  alone  was  never  the  supreme  end  of  the 
service.  Attitudes  of  life  were  the  result  to  be  desired  and 
information  was  used  as  a  means  for  creating  or  making 
permanent  the  desired  attitudes.  It  was  felt  that  in 
worship  there  is  little  place  for  argumentation  or  exhorta- 
tion. We  come  rather  to  commune  with  the  great  things 
of  life  and  through  these  with  the  Living  God. 

One  of  the  encouraging  features  of  this  work  was  the 
marked  reverence  of  the  pupils  during  the  period  of  wor- 
ship. The  ease  and  apparent  pleasure  with  which  some 
of  them  joined  in  the  regular  church  service  was  also 
noticeable  as  one  of  the  results. 

Checking  up  Results. — Even  after  we  have  succeeded 
in  arranging  a  service  which  interests  the  pupil,  we  must 
continually  check  up  its  effectiveness  by  its  results  in  the 
lives  of  the  pupils.  Unless  definite  and  appropriate  atti- 
tudes persist  in  the  life  of  the  pupil  as  a  result  of  the 
Sunday-school  service  of  worship,  it  may  well  be  doubted 
whether  we  have  fully  succeeded  in  accomplishing  our 
purpose.  A  method  of  ascertaining  these  results  and  an 
interesting  account  of  its  application  will  be  found  in  the 
section,  "Evidences  of  the  Results  of  Worship"  in  "Wor- 
ship in  the  Sunday  School,"  by  Dr.  Hugh  Hartshorne. 

Graded  Worship. — In  large  schools  the  worship  may  be 
conducted  by  departments.  The  Primary,  Junior,  Inter- 
mediate and  Senior  departments  each  have  special  inter- 
ests, which  will  find  their  expression  in  the  service  of  wor- 
ship and  which  will  help  to  determine  the  nature  of  this 

416 


WORSHIP  IN  THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

service.  In  cases,  however,  where  the  Sunday  school  is 
small  or  where  there  is  only  one  room  available,  leaders 
should  not  be  discouraged  from  attempting  to  conduct 
worship  in  the  Sunday  school  as  a  whole.  Experience 
seems  to  show  that  in  the  matter  of  worship  a  greater 
diversity  of  interests  can  be  met  than  in  instruction.  In 
other  words,  while  it  might  be  fatal  to  instruction  to  include 
children  from  the  Primary  Department  with^boys  and  girls 
of  the  Intermediate  Department,  yet  these  grades  can,  if 
necessary,  be  united  effectively  in  a  service  of  worship. 

A  Sunday-School  Orchestra.— Some  schools  have  found 
a  Sunday-school  orchestra  a  real  asset  to  the  school. 
Relatively  few  schools,  however,  have  thought  of  the  or- 
chestra as  a  means  of  promoting  worship.  It  has  been 
considered  rather  as  a  means  of  expressing  certain  desires 
for  activity,  and  for  holding  persons  in  the  school  who 
could  not  otherwise  be  held.  These  same  results  can  be 
accomplished  if  the  music  is  made  dignified  and  appro- 
priately religious  and  at  the  same  time  the  work  of  the 
orchestra  can  add  to  the  effectiveness  of  worship.  This 
will  need  careful  guarding,  however,  as  in  some  schools 
the  productions  of  the  school  orchestra  are  far  from  wor- 
shipful. Whenever  the  work  of  the  orchestra  becomes  a 
mere  "musical  production"  its  value  for  worship  is  gone. 

Variety. — Of  course  there  should  be  variety  in  the 
service  of  worship,  but  there  is  danger  of  overemphasizing 
this.  Excessive  novelty  should  always  be  avoided. 
Different  aspects  of  one  theme  may  be  treated  for  a  series 
of  weeks  to  advantage.  It  is  usually  well  also  to  continue 
the  use  of  certain  parts  of  the  service,  such  as  the  psalm, 

417 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

the  prayer  and  the  hymn  for  several  weeks  until  pupils 
have  learned  to  appreciate  and  care  for  these  beautiful 
forms  of  expression.  A  certain  formality  will  tend  to  add 
to  rather  than  to  detract  from  the  service. 


418 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL   AT  WOKK 


XV 


BRINGING  THE  PUPIL  TO  A  DECISION 
FOR  CHRIST 


Rev.  GEORGE  GORDON  MAHY 


419 


BRINGING  THE  PUPIL  TO  A  DECISION 
FOR  CHRIST 


THE  NEED 


Sunday-School  Organization  and  Development. — Every 
Christian  institution  and  movement  which  we  know 
anything  about  has  had  its  origin  in  a  great  missionary 
and  evangeHstie  impulse,  born  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  the 
hearts  of  men.  Such  an  impulse  led  to  the  founding  of 
the  Sunday  school.  It  was  created  as  an  agency  for  bring- 
ing lost  souls  to  Christ;  and  its  leaders  and  teachers 
gathered  into  it,  as  their  pupils,  the  untaught  and  neglected 
children  of  the  streets. 

The  passing  years  have  brought  about  an  amazing 
development  of  Sunday-school  organization,  of  Sunday- 
school  attendance  and  of  Sunday-school  literature  and 
methods  of  work.  World,  national  and  state  conventions 
are  attended  by  thousands  of  religious  leaders.  The 
results  of  modern  scientific  research  in  Biblical  inter- 
pretation, in  child  nature  and  in  pedagogy  have  been 
placed  at  the  disposal  of  Sunday-school  workers. 

A  Double  Loss. — In  spite  of  these  great  gains,  however, 

evidences  of  loss  are  apparent,  for,  while  the  Sunday  school 

as  grown,  it  has  done  so  by  building  itself  around  the 

Idren  of  the  Church,  and  has  not  maintained  sufficient 

421 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

missionary  zeal  to  extend  its  work  among  the  very  children 
whom  it  was  designed  to  reach.  As  a  result,  our  modern 
Sunday-school  pupils  (except  in  the  case  of  a  compara- 
tively small  number  of  mission  schools)  are  no  longer 
drawn  from  the  untaught  and  neglected,  but  from  the 
sheltered  and  protected  children  of  comfortable  homes. 
They  are  well  dressed,  well  nourished  and  happy  hearted. 
Naturally,  they  do  not  arouse  in  their  teachers  the  same 
instinct  of  rescue,  nor  does  their  case  appear  to  be  so  ur- 
gent as  that  of  the  pupils  of  the  so-called  "ragged  schools" 
of  the  early  days  or  the  mission  schools  of  to-day.  It 
follows  with  equal  naturalness  that  there  has  been  a 
decline  of  the  evangelistic  spirit  in  Sunday-school  work 
which  too  often  has  led  to  a  kind  of  quiet  and  comfortable, 
not  to  say  careless,  teaching  of  the  Bible  lesson,  in  which 
there  is  no  yearning  for  lost  souls  and  no  tender  personal 
appeal  to  the  pupils  to  seek  Christ's  forgiveness  for  sin, 
to  accept  him  as  Saviour  and  to  confess  him  before  the 
world.  This  sort  of  teaching  magnifies  the  work  of  im- 
parting religious  truth  to  the  mind,  and  fails  to  recognize 
the  presence  of  the  Holy  Spirit  and  the  necessity  for  co- 
operating with  him  in  applying  the  teaching  of  the  lesson 
to  the  heart  and  the  conscience  of  the  pupil. 

This  double  loss — of  missionary  spirit  and  of  a  true 
evangelistic  zeal — is  responsible  for  two  things  which  are 
revealed  in  the  annual  reports  of  our  present-day  Sunday- 
school  work.  The  first  thing  is  that  in  many  of  our 
great  denominations  Sunday-school  attendance  appar- 
ently reached  the  high-water  mark  some  years  since,  and 
is  now  declining.  Nothing  short  of  a  revival  of  the  mis- 
sionary spirit  which  led  Robert  Raikes  and  D.  L.  Moody, 
with  a  host  of  others,  to  seek  out  the  lost  and  forlorn 

422 


A  DECISION  FOR  CHRIST 

children  of  the  crowded  alleys,  will  serve  to  check  the 
present  alarming  decline  in  attendance.  The  second 
thing  is  that,  as  an  evangelistic  agency,  the  Sunday  school 
is  not  measuring  up  to  its  responsibility,  for  the  reports 
show  that  out  of  every  five  Sunday-school  pupils,  only 
two  are  led  to  Christ  and  into  the  membership  of  the 
Christian  Church,  while  three  pass  beyond  the  circle  of 
church  life,  out  into  the  world  of  indifference  and  sin.  The 
beauty  of  any  piece  of  work  lies  in  the  perfection  of  its 
finish.  There  is  a  suggestion  of  waste  and  a  certain 
pathos  about  an  unfinished  painting,  an  unfinished  book, 
an  unfinished  house,  for  behind  these  lies  the  story  of 
diverted  or  of  failing  energies.  Especially  is  this  true 
of  an  unfinished  work  in  the  Sunday  school,  for  surely 
the  saddest  thing  on  earth  is  an  unperfected  character,  a 
broken  life,  a  lost  soul.  It  is  this  which  gives  such  a  sad 
significance  to  the  great  procession  of  boys  and  girls,  on 
the  verge  of  young  manhood  and  young  womanhood, 
who  are  annually  reported  as  having  turned  their  backs 
upon  the  teaching  of  the  Sunday  school,  the  ordinances 
of  the  Church,  and  the  Saviour  who  died  for  the  redemp- 
tion of  their  souls.  The  only  thing  which  will  turn  back 
to  Christ  this  procession  of  the  children  of  the  Church  is 
the  revival  of  a  genuine  spirit  of  evangelism  in  the  Sun- 
day school. 

Pupils  Must  Be  Brought  Face  to  Face  with  Christ. 

— If  a  true  spirit  of  evangelism  exists  in  the  Sunday 
school  the  methods  by  which  the  pupils  are  brought 
to  a  decision  for  Christ  will  take  care  of  themselves. 
For  this  reason,  while  certain  methods  are  indicated  in 
these  chapters,  they  are  not  insisted  upon.     The  chief 

423 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

thing  is  to  bring  every  pupil  face  to  face  with  the 
living  Christ,  through  his  direct  and  personal  invitations, 
promises,  warnings  and  commands  with  respect  to  dis- 
cipleship  and  service.  There  are  some  Sunday  schools 
in  which  such  work  is  never  done,  because  the  teachers 
and  officers  have  somehow  allowed  a  certain  formality 
and  an  atmosphere  of  chilliness  to  creep  into  their  work. 
Deep  down  in  their  hearts  they  long  to  see  their  pupils 
brought  to  Christ,  but  they  do  not  know  how  to  change 
existing  conditions  nor  how  to  create  a  new  atmosphere 
in  which  such  a  result  can  be  accomplished. 

A  Fire  Kindled  and  Communicated. — It  is  often  true 
that  some  one  in  the  Sunday  school  becomes  deeply  con- 
cerned about  its  low  spiritua  tone,  and  anxious  to 
awaken  in  the  hearts  of  the  teachers  and  pupils  a  new 
spirit  of  earnestness.  A  prayer  which  was  printed  and 
scattered  broadcast,  both  in  this  country  and  in  Europe, 
some  years  ago,  read:  "O  Lord  send  a  revival,  and  let  it 
begin  in  me!"  God  often  accomplishes  his  purpose  by 
kindling  a  fire  in  a  solitary  heart.  It  may  be  that  of  the 
pastor  or  of  the  superintendent  or  of  a  teacher.  Let 
anyone  so  aroused  call  the  teachers  and  officers  together 
for  conference  and  prayer.  Let  him  communicate  to 
them  his  own  deep  feeling  of  anxiety  over  the  spiritual 
condition  of  the  school,  and  urge  them  to  discover  exactly 
how  many  of  the  pupils  are  members  of  the  Church,  and 
who  among  them  seem  to  be  making  progress  in  the  Chris- 
tian life;  what  are  the  things  which  are  hindering  the 
growth  of  others;  and  also  how  many  of  the  pupils  have  as 
yet  made  no  public  profession  of  faith  in  Jesus  Christ. 
Then  let  him  lead  the  teachers  to  ask:  "What  is  our  own 

424 


A  DECISION  FOR  CHRIST 

spiritual  state  and  what  is  our  life  influence  upon  our 
pupils?"  ''How  often  and  how  earnestly  have  we  engaged 
in  intercessory  prayer  for  the  conversion  of  our  pupils?" 
"How  deep  is  our  own  personal  interest  in  our  study  of 
the  Bible  and  the  preparation  of  the  lessons?"  "Are  we 
conscious  that  our  own  souls  are  being  fed  by  the  Spirit 
of  God  as  he  opens  to  us  the  Scriptures?"  "Do  we 
come  to  the  classroom  with  our  hearts  all  aglow  with  fresh 
revelations  of  the  beauty  and  the  glory  of  God,  and  the 
wonder  of  his  plan  of  salvation?"  Such  a  conference  as 
this  would  create  in  many  a  school  a  new  spiritual  atmos- 
phere, and  transform  it  from  a  barren  to  a  fruitful  field. 

In  One  School. — When  the  writer  visited  a  certain 
church  and  asked  questions  concerning  the  condition  of 
the  Sunday  school,  he  was  informed  that  the  atmosphere 
of  the  school  was  unfavorable  to  evangeHstic  work,  inas- 
much as  a  number  of  the  teachers  were  opposed  to  any 
appeals  being  made  to  the  pupils  to  confess  Christ  as  their 
Saviour.  He  asked  permission  to  have  a  conference  with 
the  teachers  and  officers  of  that  school  directly  after 
the  Sunday  morning  service.  The  time  for  the  con- 
ference was  necessarily  very  short.  Calling  upon  the 
nearest  teacher  he  asked:  "How  many  pupils  have  you 
in  your  class,  and  how  old  are  they?"  He  was  told  that 
there  were  twelve  pupils  and  that  their  ages  ranged  from 
fourteen  to  sixteen  years.  The  next  question  was :  "How 
many  of  these  pupils  have  publicly  professed  Christ?" 
The  answer  was:  "Only  two  of  them."  Every  teacher 
present  was  called  upon  to  give  the  same  information, 
and  when  all  had  reported  it  was  found  that  over  sixty 
pupils  in  that  school,  above  the  age  of  fourteen,  had  not 

425 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

made  public  profession  of  their  faith  in  Christ,  and  that 
many  of  them  had  never  been  asked  to  make  such  a  pro- 
fession. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  conference  the  teachers  seemed 
to  be  disturbed  at  the  personal  nature  of  the  questions 
which  were  asked,  and  at  the  insistent  placing  of  re- 
sponsibility upon  them  for  the  souls  of  their  pupils.  They 
were  particularly  disturbed  when  they  were  asked  to  read, 
and  apply  to  themselves,  verses  seven  and  eight  of  the 
thirty-third  chapter  of  Ezekiel:  "So  thou,  son  of  man,  I 
have  set  thee  a  watchman  unto  the  house  of  Israel;  there- 
fore hear  the  word  at  my  mouth,  and  give  them  warning 
from  me.  When  I  say  unto  the  wicked,  O  wicked  man, 
thou  shalt  surely  die,  and  thou  dost  not  speak  to  warn 
the  wicked  from  his  way;  that  wicked  man  shall  die  in 
his  iniquity,  but  his  blood  will  I  require  at  thy  hand." 
But  as  the  conference  progressed  there  were  evidences 
of  marked  concern  on  the  faces  of  many  of  the  teachers, 
and  as  they  separated  to  go  to  their  classrooms  they  did 
so  with  a  new  seriousness  of  purpose.  The  lesson  of  that 
day  lent  itself  to  the  presentation  of  the  gospel  appeal, 
and  the  teachers  applied  the  lesson  so  earnestly  and  effec- 
tively that  at  the  close  of  the  school,  when  they  were 
gathered  together  for  a  report  of  the  hour's  work,  they  were 
filled  with  joy  because  forty  or  more  of  their  pupils  had 
yielded  themselves  to  Jesus  Christ,  and  made  a  clear  con- 
fession of  their  faith  in  him  in  the  presence  of  their  class- 
mates. 

Here  was  a  school  in  which  there  appeared  to  be  an 
unspiritual  atmosphere,  and  which  for  a  number  of  years 
had  failed  to  perfect  its  work  by  bringing  its  pupils  to 
a  decision  for  Christ.    The  teachers  and  officers  seemed 

426 


A  DECISION  FOR  CHRIST 

to  be  separated  from  each  other  by  a  sort  of  spiritual  re- 
serve. It  was  only  necessary  to  crack  the  ice  of  this 
reserve  by  awakening  them  to  a  sense  of  their  responsi- 
bility and  bringing  them  to  a  point  where  they  were 
ready  to  make  a  definite  effort  to  win  their  pupils  for  Jesus 
Christ.  This  conference  changed  the  whole  atmosphere 
of  the  school.  It  created  a  new  bond  of  fellowship  be- 
tween the  teachers  and  officers,  and  brought  into  the  ses- 
sions of  the  Sunday  school  a  spirit  of  earnestness,  rever- 
ence, watchfulness,  sympathy  and  love  which  has  met 
with  instant  response  on  the  part  of  the  pupils. 


427 


II 

PLACING  THE  RESPONSIBILITY 

If  we  should  sum  up  the  efforts  made  by  the  Sunday 
schools  to  bring  their  pupils  to  a  decision  for  Christ, 
they  would  fall  into  three  groups:  (1)  Those  which  place 
the  responsibility  upon  the  teacher;  (2)  those  which  place 
the  responsibility  upon  the  pastor;  (3)  those  which  place 
the  responsibility  upon  the  superintendent. 

Placing  the  Responsibility  Upon  the  Teacher. — ^The 
schools  which  place  the  responsibility  upon  the  teacher 
emphasize  the  idea  of  individual  work,  and  consider  that 
their  responsibility  is  discharged  when  the  teacher,  whose 
work  perhaps  is  supplemented  by  the  pastor,  has  per- 
sonally invited  them  to  enter  the  Christian  life.  If  all 
our  Sunday-school  teachers  had  the  true  evangelistic 
spirit,  and  were  prepared  for  the  work  of  soul-winning, 
there  would  be  no  necessity  for  further  anxiety  on  the 
part  of  the  Church  concerning  the  spiritual  welfare  of  her 
children,  and  no  need  for  further  evangelistic  effort  on 
the  part  of  the  school.  But  it  is  necessary  that  we  should 
consider  just  what  preparation  of  mind  and  heart  is  needed 
in  order  that  the  teacher  may  really  have  a  "true  evan- 
gelistic spirit  and  be  prepared  for  the  work  of  soul-win- 
ning." 

(1)  The  teacher  must  be  familiar  with,  and  have  a  firm 
faith  in,  the  great  doctrinal  statements  of  the  Bible  con- 
cerning sin  and  God's  plan  of  salvation  from  sin.     (2) 

428 


A  DECISION  FOR  CHRIST 

This  knowledge  and  belief  will  convince  the  teacher  that 
every  pupil  who  has  not  repented  of  sin,  accepted  Christ 
as  Saviour  and  confessed  him  as  such  before  the  world,  is, 
according  to  the  gospel,  ''dead  through  your  trespasses 
and  sins,"  no  matter  how  attractive  or  winsome  a  per- 
sonality that  pupil  may  have.  The  apostle  Paul  wrote, 
"The  love  of  Christ  constraineth  us;  because  we  thus 
judge,  that  one  died  for  all,  therefore  all  died."  This 
conviction  of  the  spiritual  need  of  the  pupil,  combined 
with  the  consciousness  of  possessing  the  life  message, 
"One  died  for  all,"  will  overcome  all  timidity  on  the  part 
of  the  teacher  in  dealing  with  the  vital  question  of  a 
soul's  relation  to  Christ,  and  will  unfaihngly  lead  him  to 
the  underlying  gospel  message  which  every  Sunday-school 
lesson  contains.  (3)  It  will  also  develop  in  the  teacher 
great  patience,  so  that  if  his  first  efforts  are  unsuccessful 
there  will  be  no  discouragement  upon  his  part,  but  rather 
a  deepened  determination  so  to  live  and  labor  and  pray  for 
his  pupils  that,  in  the  end,  they  must  by  the  very  compul- 
sion of  love  be  compelled  to  yield  themselves  to  Christ. 

There  is  a  beautiful  story  told  by  Henry  Drummond 
of  two  students  in  the  University  of  Edinburgh.  One 
of  them  was  an  earnest  Christian.  The  other  was  an 
unbeliever.  Through  the  years  of  their  fellowship  the 
Christian  student  had  prayed  with  great  earnestness  for 
the  conversion  of  his  comrade,  and  pleaded  with  him  to 
yield  his  heart  to  Jesus  Christ.  The  time  came  for  the 
graduation  of  the  Christian  student,  and  still  his  unbe- 
lieving roommate  had  not  surrendered  to  Jesus  Christ. 
A  splendid  professional  opening  offered  itself  to  the  Chris- 
tian student,  and  he  was  urged  to  take  advantage  of  it 
immediately  after  his  graduation,  but  at  the  opening  of 

429 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

the  next  school  year,  to  the  surprise  of  the  unbeHeving 
student,  his  old  roommate  was  back  again,  preparing  to 
take  a  post-graduate  course  at  the  university.  It  was 
not  until  some  weeks  later  that  he  learned  of  the  rejection 
of  the  splendid  professional  opening  by  his  Christian 
roommate,  who  had  sacrificed  his  opportunity  in  order 
that  he  might,  if  necessary,  give  another  year  to  the  work 
of  winning  his  unsaved  comrade  to  Jesus  Christ.  It  is 
scarcely  necessary  to  say  that  this  unselfish  devotion 
broke  the  stubborn  will  of  the  unbeliever  and  brought 
him  in  penitence  and  love  to  Jesus  Christ. 

When  the  pupils  of  our  Sunday  schools  discover  similar 
evidences  of  loving  sacrifice  and  Christlike  solicitude  in  the 
lives  of  their  teachers  a  long  step  will  have  been  taken 
toward  the  solution  of  the  problem  which  now  presses 
upon  the  Church:  How  shall  we  bring  a  greater  number 
of  our  children  to  a  decision  for  Christ  and  hold  them  for 
his  service? 

Placing  the  Responsibility  Upon  the  Pastor. — ^The 
school  which  regards  the  pastor  as  the  person  best  fitted 
to  bring  the  pupils  to  a  decision  for  Christ  attaches  great 
importance  to  the  pastor's  instruction  class,  and  calls 
upon  the  teachers  to  select  and  send  into  the  pastor's 
class  those  pupils  who  have  not  made  a  public  profession 
of  their  faith,  in  order  that  he  may  instruct  them  concern- 
ing the  Christian  life  and  its  obligations,  and  prepare 
them  intelligently  to  undertake  the  responsibilities  of 
church  membership. 

A  prominent  minister  tells  of  a  fellow  minister  who 
often  passes  from  class  to  class  during  the  session  of  the 
school  and  inquires  of  the  teachers  how  many  of  their 

430 


A  DECISION  FOR  CHRIST 

pupils  have  publicly  professed  Christ.  His  questions 
help  to  fix  in  the  minds  of  the  teachers  the  fact  that  they 
have  one  or  three  or  more  (as  the  case  may  be)  who  are 
potentially,  but  not  actually,  members  of  the  visible  body 
of  Christ.  This  same  pastor,  four  times  a  year,  announces 
that  he  will  teach  an  inquirer's  class  in  the  study  in  the 
church  during  the  Sunday-school  hour,  and  the  teachers 
are  requested  to  send  to  him  at  that  time  any  of  their 
pupils  who  are  willing  to  join  such  a  class.  He  reports 
that  annually  there  are  large  accessions  to  his  church 
from  the  Sunday  school  through  this  class. 

It  is  almost  unbelievable,  and  yet  it  is  true,  that  there 
are  still  many  ministers  who  do  not  regard  the  Sunday 
school  as  a  field  for  personal  effort  on  their  part.  They  are 
glad  to  have  the  Sunday  school,  but  are  content  to  leave 
its  work  solely  in  the  hands  of  the  lay  workers  of  the  church. 
It  is  not  too  strong  a  statement  to  say  that  no  pastor  can 
hope  for  permanent  success  in  any  spiritual  sense  who 
neglects  the  work  of  the  Sunday  school.  And  this  is 
true  of  the  pastors  of  great  metropolitan  churches  as  well 
as  of  the  pastors  of  smaller  churches. 

One  Pastor's  Method. — ^The  pastor  of  one  of  the  largest 
churches  in  the  United  States  said  recently:  "I  have 
three  congregations  every  Sunday — one  in  the  morning, 
one  in  the  afternoon  and  one  in  the  evening.  If  I 
were  compelled  to  choose  any  one  of  these  audiences  I 
would  not  hesitate  for  a  moment  to  take  the  afternoon 
audience,  though  I  know  that  this  audience  is  composed 
almost  wholly  of  young  people  and  children,  and  that  I 
should  be  limited  to  fifteen  minutes  in  what  I  have  to  say 
to  them;  for  it  is  out  of  this  audience  that  I  expect  to 

431 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

secure  the  materials  for  building  a  church  which  shall 
serve  the  living  God  long  after  I  am  gone."  This  pastor 
declares  that  he  has  not  missed  a  session  of  the  Sunday 
school  for  many  years,  except  on  account  of  necessary  ab- 
sence from  the  city,  and  that  he  regards  the  few  minutes 
which  are  given  to  him  every  Sunday  afternoon,  for  a 
direct  heart  talk  with  the  pupils,  as  one  of  the  brightest 
periods  of  the  week,  and  that  he  makes  just  as  careful 
preparation  for  his  message  to  the  Sunday  school  as  for 
his  Sunday  morning  or  evening  sermon. 

It  is  not  difficult  for  the  teachers  of  this  school  to 
persuade  their  pupils  to  enter  the  pastor's  instruction 
class,  for  the  pupils  know  him  and  love  him.  Indeed, 
it  is  his  proud  boast  that  he  can  instantly  call  by 
name  every  one  of  the  boys  and  girls  in  that  school 
who  is  above  the  primary  grade.  Year  after  year 
a  splendid  harvest  of  boys  and  girls  is  brought  to 
Jesus  Christ  and  gathered  into  the  membership  of  the 
church.  There  are  many  churches  in  the  part  of  the  city 
where  this  church  is  located  which  are  losing  their 
strength,  but  it  continues  to  grow  in  strength  and  in- 
fluence, and  is  a  very  fountain  of  blessing  not  only  to 
the  particular  section  in  which  it  is  located,  but  also  to 
the  whole  city.  Fortunate  is  the  school  whose  teachers 
and  oflficers  have  the  help  of  such  a  pastor  in  their  effort 
to  bring  their  pupils  to  a  decision  for  Christ. 

Placing  the  Responsibility  Upon  the  Superintendent. 

— There  are  still  other  Sunday  schools  which  follow 
the  third  method,  and  make  the  superintendent  the  real 
leader  in  all  the  evangelistic  work  of  the  school.  The 
pastor  of  a  church  which  is  thoroughly  evangelistic  in 

432 


A  DECISION  FOR  CHRIST 

its  method,  and  which  reports  the  largest  accessions  on 
confession  of  faith  for  the  past  five  years  of  any  church 
in  the  denomination,  says:  ''Our  superintendent  is  a 
thoroughly  trained  Bible  teacher  and  a  splendid  execu- 
tive. Practically  all  the  evangelistic  spirit  in  our  Sunday 
school  is  imparted  to  the  teachers  through  him.  For 
several  years  he  has  brought  the  teachers  together  on 
Wednesday  evenings,  before  the  prayer  meeting,  for  a 
teacher's  tea,  and  I  believe  it  to  be  true  that  there  is  no 
pupil  in  our  school  over  twelve  years  of  age,  who  is 
known  to  be  unsaved,  who  is  not  a  special  object  of  anx- 
ious care  to  every  teacher  in  the  school.  He  has  so  trained 
the  teachers  and  inspired  them  with  his  spirit  that  under 
his  leadership  the  invitation  to  come  to  Christ  is  con- 
tinually pressed  upon  the  unsaved  pupils." 


433 


Ill 

THE  DECISION  DAY  SERVICE 

The  most  effective  evangelistic  Sunday  schools  are 
those  which  have  wisely  combined  the  three  methods 
considered  in  the  previous  chapter.  By  this  means 
they  have  secured  the  complete  cooperation  of  pastor, 
superintendent  and  teachers  in  a  steady  and  effective 
evangelistic  work  throughout  the  year,  but,  in  addition 
to  this,  they  set  apart  a  day  known  as  "Decision  Day" 
for  a  special  evangelistic  work,  and  by  this  means  they 
gather  up  the  results  of  the  work  of  the  year.  This 
method  of  Sunday-school  evangelism  recognizes  clearly 
that  the  act  of  bringing  a  soul  to  decision  for  Christ  is 
not  an  isolated  act.  The  Decision  Day  Service  is  looked 
forward  to  with  profound  interest,  and  is  really  regarded 
as  the  culmination  of  many  days  of  prayer  and  careful 
preparation. 

Regular  Work  of  the  School  a  Preparation.— Prepara- 
tion for  a  Decision  Day  Service,  therefore,  includes:  (1) 
All  the  regular  work  of  the  school;  (2)  the  special  meas- 
ures which  are  taken,  just  prior  to  the  service,  to  secure  its 
success. 

The  value  of  the  persistent  and  regular  teaching 
work  of  the  school,  as  a  preparation  for  the  special 
evangelistic  appeal,  is  illustrated  in  an  article  written 
some  years  ago  by  William  T.  Stead  in  reviewing  the  char- 
acteristics of  the  Welsh  revival.     He  pictured  a  hulk 

434 


A  DECISION  FOR  CHRIST 

submerged  in  the  harbor.  For  days  a  powerful  pump 
has  been  at  work,  forcing  air  into  it.  Slowly  the  hulk 
rises,  until  at  last  it  reaches  the  surface,  but  it  is  still 
overturned  and  will  soon  settle  again  to  the  bottom  of 
the  harbor  if  it  does  not  continue  to  have  the  artificial 
support  of  the  pressure  pump.  It  is  in  a  state  of  equi- 
librium, and  at  this  instant  all  that  is  needed  is  a  single 
touch  to  enable  it  to  right  itself  and  float  again  upon 
the  surface  of  the  water.  Thus  the  regular  teaching  of 
the  Sunday-school  lesson,  the  constant  appHcation  of  the 
invitations  and  warnings  of  the  gospel  message  to  the 
heart  and  conscience  of  the  pupils,  effectively  prepare 
the  way  for  the  Decision  Day.  On  that  day  the  touch 
is  given  to  prepared  souls,  and  they  are  led  out  of  the 
lingering  shadows  of  uncertainty  and  over  the  crumbling 
wall  of  separation  from  Christ  into  the  full  light  of  a 
happy  Christian  experience. 

In  this  translation  and  transformation  there  is  the 
picture  of 

"A  pleasant  meadow,  and  a  Shepherd's  call 
Beyond  the  confines  of  a  crumbling  wall. 
I  and  a  flock  of  lambs  together  stay 
Upon  this  side,  and  wait  the  coming  day ; 
And  when  that  kindly  voice  is  heard  afar 
The  lambs  in  gladness  leap  the  wall's  slight  bar 
And  run  to  meet  the  Shepherd." 

Special  Preparation. — But  the  results  of  the  Decision 
Day  Service  will  be  more  certain  and  satisfactory  if,  in 
addition  to  the  ordinary  work  of  the  school,  special  prepa- 
ration shall  also  be  made.  This  special  preparation 
should  include  at  least  these  features: 

(1)  The  day  should  be  selected  and  announced  in  ad- 
435 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

vance,  and  attention  should  frequently  be  called  to  its  im- 
portance from  the  pulpit  and  the  Sunday-school  platform. 
(2)  Parents  should  be  interviewed  by  personal  visitation 
in  order  that  their  wishes  may  be  ascertained,  and,  some- 
times, that  their  ignorant  and  unworthy  prejudices  may 
be  removed.  Many  a  child  has  sat  through  a  Decision 
Service  eager  with  longing,  anxious  to  give  Jesus  his  heart, 
but  forbidden  by  blind  and  ignorant  parents  to  make  any 
public  confession  of  faith  in  him.  There  are  a  good  many 
people  to-day  who  are  as  much  out  of  sympathy  with 
Christ  as  were  his  disciples  of  old  when  they  rebuked 
those  who  would  bring  the  children  to  him.  These  people 
should  be  asked  to  give  careful  attention  to  the  record 
of  the  Gospel:  "But  when  Jesus  saw  it,  he  was  moved 
with  indignation,  and  said  unto  them.  Suffer  the  little 
children  to  come  unto  me;  forbid  them  not:  for  to  such 
belongeth  the  kingdom  of  God."  (3)  The  Christian  pu- 
pils should  be  urged  to  greater  watchfulness  in  their  life 
and  conversation,  that  they  may  not  prove  a  stumbling- 
block  to  others,  and  they  should  be  encouraged  to  meet 
in  groups  to  consider  the  question  of  their  responsibility, 
and  to  pray  both  for  a  renewal  of  their  own  spiritual  life 
and  for  the  conversion  of  their  associates.  (4)  The  pastor, 
teachers  and  officers  should  arrange  for  a  personal  inter- 
view with  the  unconverted  pupils,  and  at  this  interview 
clearly  present  the  reasons  why  each  one,  when  he  has 
come  to  years  of  discretion,  should  make  a  full  and 
complete  surrender  to  Christ  and  a  public  profession  of 
faith  in  him. 

Conducting  the  Decision  Service. — In  the  conduct  of 
the  Decision  Service  itself  it  will  usually  be  wise  to  set 

436 


A  DECISION  FOR  CHRIST 

aside  the  regular  lesson  for  the  day,  and  to  place  in  the 
hands  of  the  teachers  and  every  pupil  in  the  school  this  or 
some  other  covenant  card,  on  which,  in  addition  to  the 
covenant,  there  are  printed  a  few  clear  gospel  invitations 
and  promises: 


MY   COVENANT   WITH   GOD 


GOD'S  COMMAND:  Repent  ye.  and  believe  in  the  gospel. — Mark 

1:15. 
THE  GOSPEL:  Christ  died  for  our  sins  and  rose  again.— 1  Cor. 

15  :  1-4. 
GOD'S  PROMISE:  As  many  as  received  him,  to  them  gave  he  the 

right  to  become  children  of  God. — John  1  :  12. 


Believing  the  gospel,  I  turn  from  every  known  sin  to  Christ 
and  look  to  him  for  forgiveness  and  life.  I  do  now  receive 
and  confess  Christ  as  my  Saviour,  John  1 :  12;  Matt.  10: 32; 
Rom.  10:9,  10;  and,  trusting  that  he  will  keep  me,  I  com- 
mit the  direction  of  my  whole  life  to  him,  Heb.  7: 25;  Jude  24. 

Signed 

Date Place 

Take  this  part  of  the  card  home  with  you.  Pray  over  it,  study  and  be- 
lieve the  Scriptures  it  contains. 

MY  COVENANT  WITH  GOD 

I  have  this  day  accepted  and  confessed  Christ  as  my 
Saviour,  and  committed  the  direction  of  my  whole  life  to 
him.  As  he  gives  me  strength  I  will  strive  from  day  to  day 
to  be  a  true  and  faithful  Christian. 

Signed  

Date    Place 

Give  this  part  of  the  card  to  the  superintendent,  pastor  or  your  Sunday- 
school  teacher. 

437 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

This  card  is  given  to  the  pupils  in  order  that  they  may 
have  before  them  something  definite  to  consider  and  act 
upon. 

The  Call  to  the  Christian  Pupils. — ^Those  who  have 
already  professed  their  faith  in  Christ  should  be  asked  to 
think  carefully  of  their  failures  and  sins  since  first  they  con- 
fessed Christ,  and  urged  to  take  a  forward  step  by  prayer- 
fully renewing  their  allegiance  to  him  in  a  solemn  promise 
that  from  this  decision  hour  they  will  earnestly  strive  for 
victory  over  those  things  in  their  lives  which  have  here- 
tofore injured  them  and  hindered  their  Christian  growth. 
They  should  be  asked  to  use  the  reverse  side  of  the  cove- 
nant card  (which  has  been  distributed  through  the  school), 
and  on  that  reverse  side,  under  the  simple  heading,  "My 
Forward  Step,"  put  in  their  own  words  a  promise  to  Jesus 
Christ  of  what  they  intend  to  be  and  to  do  thereafter  to 
please  and  glorify  him. 

Explaining  Repentance. — When  the  teachers  have  in 
this  way  pointed  out  to  the  Christian  pupils  the  necessity 
for  a  more  earnest  and  faithful  discipleship,  and  the  joy 
of  living  close  to  Christ,  they  should  take  the  covenant  card 
and  have  the  whole  class,  with  open  Bibles,  carefully  read 
the  gospel  invitations  and  promises  printed  upon  it. 
The  conversation  over  the  passages  indicated  on  the  card 
will  very  likely  take  some  such  form  as  this:  After  the 
pupils  have  read  Mark  1:15,  'The  time  is  fulfilled,  and  the 
kingdom  of  God  is  at  hand :  repent  ye,  and  believe  in  the 
gospel,"  the  teacher  should  ask,  "Would  you  call  the  last 
part  of  this  verse  a  command?"  The  answer  will  be,  *Tes." 
"Who  gave  the  command?"     The  answer  will  be,  "Jesus 

438 


A  DECISION  FOR  CHRIST 

gave  it."  "Did  he  have  a  right  to  give  such  a  com- 
mandment?" "Yes."  "Why  has  he  the  right  to  give 
such  a  commandment?"  "Because  he  is  the  Son  of  God 
and  all  power  is  given  unto  him  both  in  heaven  and  on 
earth."  The  teacher  should  call  attention  to  the  fact  that 
this  is  the  very  first  command  which  Jesus  ever  gave, 
and  that  with  this  commandment  he  began  all  his  preach- 
ing and  teaching,  and  that,  therefore,  he  must  have  con- 
sidered it  one  of  the  most  important  things  he  would  ever 
have  to  say.  Now  the  teacher  should  call  attention  to  the 
commandment  itself,  "Repent  ye,  and  believe  in  the 
gospel,"  and  should  not  fail  to  explain  that  repentance 
means  two  things:  (1)  That  we  should  be  sorry  for  our 
sins;  (2)  that  we  should  turn  away  from  our  sins. 

A  familiar  Old  Testament  passage  may  be  quoted  as  an 
illustration  of  repentance  and  a  promise  of  the  blessing 
which  comes  to  the  repentant  heart:  "He  that  covereth 
his  transgressions  shall  not  prosper;  but  whoso  confesseth 
and  forsaketh  them  shall  obtain  mercy."  Prov.  28  :  13. 

What  Is  the  Gospel? — It  will  be  noted  that  the  second 
part  of  the  commandment  on  the  card  is,  "believe  in  the 
gospel."  The  question  will  naturally  arise  in  the  minds 
of  the  pupils.  What  is  the  gospel?  The  teacher  should 
be  able  to  answer  by  having  the  class  turn  to  1  Cor.  15: 
1-4,  where  Paul  says,  "The  gospel  which  I  preached  unto 
you,  .  .  .  that  Christ  died  for  our  sins  according  to  the 
scriptures;  and  that  he  was  buried;  and  that  he  hath  been 
raised  on  the  third  day."  (R.  V.)  The  teacher  should  ex- 
plain that  what  we  are  to  believe  is  this:  that  Christ  died 
for  our  sins  and  therefore  is  able  to  forgive  our  sins,  and 
to  put  them  away  just  as  soon  as  we  confess  them  and  turn 

439 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

away  from  them.  It  should  also  be  shown  that  Christ  has 
not  only  died  for  our  sins,  but  that  he  has  risen  from  the 
dead  and  therefore  is  Hving  to-day,  and  waiting  to  see 
whether  we  are  going  to  receive  and  acknowledge  him  as 
our  Lord  and  Saviour. 

At  this  point  the  teacher  should  have  the  class  read 
John  1 :  11, 12,  "He  came  unto  his  own,  and  they  that  were 
his  own  received  him  not.  But  as  many  as  received  him, 
to  them  gave  he  the  right  to  become  children  of  God, 
even  to  them  that  believe  on  his  name."  At  once  the  class 
will  see  that  there  are  two  classes  of  people  referred  to: 
those  who  do  not  receive  Christ  and  those  who  do  receive 
him. 

Questions  should  be  asked  about  the  meaning  of  "receiv- 
ing Christ,"  and  the  teacher  should  aid  in  formulating 
answers  to  the  questions.  These  answers  should  make  it 
clear  that  "receiving  Christ"  means  to  submit  the  will 
to  him  for  his  guidance  and  control;  to  give  him  our  love 
and  gratitude  for  the  great  love  which  led  him  to  die  for 
our  sins;  to  place  our  time  and  all  our  strength  at  his 
disposal,  and  to  turn  to  him  in  prayer  for  counsel  and  help 
in  every  time  of  need,  and  in  every  possible  way  to  seek 
to  please  him.  It  should  be  made  clear  that  the  way  to 
please  him  is  to  do  at  once  everything  that  he  tells  us 
to  do. 

Christ's  Requirements  of  Us. — At  this  point  the  class 
should  be  asked  to  turn  to  Matt.  10:  32,  and  read  about 
one  of  the  very  first  things  which  Jesus  asks  the  Christian 
to  do  for  him:  "Every  one  therefore  who  shall  confess  me 
before  men,  him  will  I  also  confess  before  my  Father  who 
is  in  heaven."    For  further  light  on  what  is  meant  by  "con- 

440 


A  DECISION  FOR  CHRIST 

fesslnghim"  the  class  should  read  also  Rom.  10:  9, 10,  "Be- 
cause if  thou  shalt  confess  with  thy  mouth  Jesus  as  Lord, 
and  shalt  believe  in  thy  heart  that  God  raised  him  from 
the  dead,  thou  shalt  be  saved :  for  with  the  heart  man  be- 
lieveth  unto  righteousness;  and  with  the  mouth  confession 
is  made  unto  salvation."  Then  let  the  class  turn  again 
to  John  1 :  12  and  read  the  specific  promise,  "to  them  gave 
he  the  right  to  become  children  of  God."  Up  to  this 
point  the  class  has  been  considering  what  God  has  asked 
them  to  do  in  obedience  to  the  gospel. 

Now  they  should  be  asked  to  consider  what  God  has 
definitely  promised  to  do  for  them  when  they  obey  the 
commandment  and  sincerely  repent  and  believe  the  gos- 
pel. God  pledges  himself  that  he  will  give  everyone  who 
receives  Jesus  the  right  to  become  a  child  of  God.  It 
should  be  explained  that  this  means  power  to  overcome 
sinful  habits  which  up  to  the  present  moment  have  been 
too  strong  for  us,  and  power  to  grow  every  day  stronger 
and  stronger  in  our  fight  against  sin.  These  promises 
should  be  reenforced  by  having  the  class  read  Heb.  7:  25, 
"Wherefore  also  he  is  able  to  save  to  the  uttermost  them 
that  draw  near  unto  God  through  him,  seeing  he  ever 
liveth  to  make  intercession  for  them."  The  class  will 
see  from  this  promise  that  Jesus  is  "able  to  save"  because 
he  is  now  living,  and  that  he  is  engaged  at  the  present  mo- 
ment in  the  work  of  making  intercession  for  everyone  who 
comes  near  to  God  through  him,  and,  accordingly,  the  thing 
for  everyone  to  do  who  desires  to  have  the  power  to  become 
the  child  of  God  is  at  once  to  draw  near  to  God. 

Taking  the  Covenant. — ^Now  the  class  should  be  asked 
to  consider  very  carefully  the  covenant  itself: 

441 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

"Believing  the  gospel,  I  turn  from  every  known  sin  to 
Christ  and  look  to  him  for  forgiveness  and  life.  I  do  now 
receive  and  confess  Christ  as  my  Saviour,  and,  trusting 
that  he  will  keep  me,  I  commit  the  direction  of  my  whole 
life  to  him." 

The  class  should  be  asked  to  read  this  covenant  in  con- 
cert, and  then  thoughtfully  to  read  it  over  to  themselves; 
after  which  the  teacher  should  call  upon  each  pupil  who  has 
not  previously  made  a  profession  of  faith  in  Christ  to  say 
in  the  presence  of  the  class  whether  or  not  he  will  now  take 
this  covenant  as  his,  sign  it,  seal  it  with  a  prayer  and  in 
this  way  definitely  enter  upon  the  Christian  life. 

A  Renewed  Consecration  and  a  New  Confession. — ^The 

superintendent,  the  pastor  or  some  one  who  has  been 
chosen  as  a  special  leader  for  the  Decision  Service  should 
then  take  the  school,  and  in  a  brief  and  simple  address, 
not  exceeding  fifteen  minutes  in  length  (ten  minutes  is 
still  better),  should  review  the  gospel  invitations  on  the 
covenant  card.  He  should  be  careful  not  to  introduce 
extraneous  matter  that  he  may  avoid  confusing  the  pupils. 
A  simple  and  natural  illustration  may  often  be  used  effec- 
tively to  fasten  the  truth  on  the  mind,  and  then  the  cove- 
nant should  be  read  in  concert.  The  teachers  and  the  Chris- 
tian pupils  who  have  promised  God  that  they  will  take  a 
"forward  step"  should  be  asked  to  declare  it  by  rising. 
The  pupils  who  have  taken  the  covenant  of  surrender  to 
Christ  should  be  asked  to  stand,  and  while  they  stand  to 
read  the  covenant  in  concert,  before  the  whole  school,  as 
a  further  fulfillment  of  Christ's  requirement  in  Matt.  10  : 
32,  "Every  one  therefore  who  shall  confess  me  before  men, 
him  will  I  also  confess  before  my  Father  who  is  in  heaven." 

442 


A  DECISION  FOR  CHRIST 

The  teachers  should  then  collect  the  lower  part  of  each 
card  after  it  has  been  signed,  and  the  pupils  should  be  asked 
to  take  the  upper  part  home  with  them  for  further  medi- 
tation and  study. 

No  time  should  be  lost  after  the  pupils  have  been  led 
to  a  decision  for  Christ.  They  should  at  once  be  enlisted 
in  some  form  of  Christian  testimony  and  service;  in  junior 
or  senior  Young  People's  Society;  in  missionary  groups;  in 
personal  work  bands  and  prayer  groups,  or  in  communi- 
cant classes. 

Then,  as  soon  as  possible,  they  should  be  received  into 
full  membership  in  the  Church. 


443 


THE   SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 


BIBLIOGRAPHY 


445 


BIBLIOGRAPHY 


Any  of  these  volumes  may  be  ordered  from  your  denomi- 
national publishing  house. 


I.  THE  SUPERINTENDENT  AND  HIS  ASSOCIATES 

A  Model  Superintendent Henry  Clay  Trumbull. 

Front  Line  of  the  Sunday-School  Movement, 

The F.  N.  Peloubet. 

How  to  Conduct  a  Sunday  School Marion  Lawrance. 

Modem  Methods  o    Sunday-School  Work .  .  George  W.  Mead. 

Sunday  School  and  the  Pastor,  The John  T.  Faris. 

Sunday-School  Movements  in  America Mariana  C.  Brown. 

Sunday-School  Success Amos  R.  Wells. 

Superintendent  and  His  Work,  The F.  L.  Brown. 

Ways  of  Working A.  F.  Schauffler. 

Yale  Lectures  on  the  Sunday  School Henry  Clay  Trumbull. 

II.   THE  SECRETARY  AND  HIS  ASSISTANTS 
See  pages  39-71  of  this  volume. 

III.  THE  TREASURER  AND    THE  LIBRARIAN 

How  to  Conduct  a  Sunday  School  (Chapter 

XIII) Marion  Lawrance. 

Model  Sunday  School,  The  (Chapter  XV) G.  M.  Boynton. 

Successful  Sunday-School  Superintendent,  The 

(Chapter  XXX) Amos  R.  Wells. 

Ways  of  Working  (Chapter  XIII) A.  F.  Schauffler. 


Librarian  of  the  American  Sunday  School,  The.  E.  L.  Foote. 
Model  Simday  School,  The  (Chapter  XIV). . .  .G.  M.  Boynton. 

Sunday-School  Success  (Chapter  XL) Amos  R.  Wells. 

Ways  of  Working  (Chapters  XVIII  and  XIX)  .A.  F.  Schauffler. 

447 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

IV.   THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  GRADED 

An  Outline  of  a  Bible  School  Curriculum George  W.  Pease, 

Graded  Sunday  School  in  Principle  and  Prac- 
tice, The Henry  H.  Meyer. 

How  to  Conduct  a  Sunday  School Marion  Lawrance. 

Modern  Sunday  School  in  Principle  and  Prac- 
tice, The Henry  F.  Cope. 

Organizing  and  Building  Up  the  Sunday  School.  J.  L.  Hurlbut. 

Pedagogical  Bible  School,  The S.  B.  Haslett. 

Principles  and  Ideals  for  the  Sunday  School. .  .Bin-ton  and  Mathews. 

Sunday  School  of  To-day,  The WiUiam  W.  Smith. 

Superintendent  and  His  Work,  The Frank  L.  Brown. 


V.  THE  GRADED  LESSONS 

Graded  Sunday  School  in  Principle  and  Prac- 
tice   Henry  H.  Meyer. 

Handwork  in  the  Sunday  School M.  S.  Littlefield. 

Manual  for  Use  in  the  International  Graded 
Lessons,  The Josephine  L.  Baldwin. 

Pupil  and  the  Teacher,  The Luther  A.  Weigle. 


VI.  THE  ELEMENTARY  DIVISION 

Beckonings  from  Little  Hands Patterson  DuBois. 

Beginners  Department,  The Angelina  W.  Wray. 

Child  Nature  and  ChUd  Nurture E.  P.  St.  John. 

Church  School,  The W.  S.  Athearn. 

Elementary  Worker  and  His  Work,  The AUce  Jacobs  and 

Ermina  C.  Lincoln. 

In  the  Child's  World Emilie  Poulsson. 

Junior  Worker  and  His  Work,  The Emma  A.  Robinson. 

King  and  His  Wonderful  Castle,  The George  P.  Brown. 

Lessons  for  Teachers  of  Beginners Frances*  W.  Danielson» 

Mother  and  Daughter G.  E.  Jackson. 

Our  Boys  and  Girls M.  G.  Kennedy. 

Stories  and  Story  TeUing E.  P.  St.  John. 

Supplemental  Lessons  for  Beginners Marion  Thomas. 

Unfolding  Life,  The M.  S.  Lamoreaux. 

448 


BIBLIOGRAPHY 

VII.   THE  SECONDARY  DIVISION 

Church  School,  The W.  S.  Athearn. 

Education  in  Religion  and  Morals George  A.  Coe. 

Educational  Evangelism C.  E.  McKinley. 

Girl  in  Her  Teens,  The Margaret  Slattery, 

Intermediate  Worker  and  His  Work,  The E.  S.  Lewis, 

Pupil  and  the  Teacher,  The Luther  A.  Weigle. 

Senior  Worker  and  His  Work,  The E.  S.  Lewis. 

Sunday  School  and  the  Teens,  The John  L.  Alexander. 

VIII.   THE  APULT  CLASS 

Adult  Bible  Class,  The W.  C.  Pearce. 

Adult  Bible  Classes  and  How  to  Conduct  Them .  Hall  and  Wood. 
Adult  Class  Plans  and  How  to  Work  Them. . .  .  John  T.  Paris. 

Adult  Class  Study Irving  F.  Wood. 

Adult  Worker  and  His  Work,  The W.  C.  Barclay. 

How  Book,  The Marshall  A.  Hudson. 

Ideal  Adult  Bible  Class  in  the  Sunday  School, 

The Amos  R.  Wells. 

Teaching  of  Bible  Classes,  The Edwin  F.  See. 

IX.   THE  TEACHER-TRAINING  CLASS 

Boy  and  the  Sunday  School,  The John  L.  Alexander. 

Church  School,  The W.  S.  Athearn. 

Dawn  of  Character,  The E.  E.  R.  Mumford. 

Devotional  Life  of  the  Sunday-School  Teacher, 

The J.  R.  MiUer. 

Fundamentals  of  Child  Study E.  A.  Kirkpatrick. 

Girl  and  Her  Religion,  The Margaret  Slattery. 

Learning  to  Teach  from  the  Master  Teacher . . .  John  A.  Marquis. 

Pupil  and  the  Teacher,  The Luther  A.  Weigle. 

Spirit  of  Youth  and  the  City  Streets,  Tj'he Jane  Addams. 

Starting  to  Teach E.  C.  Foster. 

Stories  and  Story  Telling E.  P.  St.  John. 

Talks  with  the  Training  Class Margaret  Slattery. 

Teacher  Training  with  the  Master  Teacher. .  .   C.  S.  Beardslee. 

Training  of  Sunday-School  Teachers  and  Offi- 
cers, The Frankhn  McElfresh. 

Worship  in  the  Sunday  School Hugh  Hartshome. 

449 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

X.   THE  HOME  DEPARTMENT 

Blue  Book,  The  (paper) CD.  Meigs. 

Quaint  presentation  of  Home  Department  Work. 

Home  Department,  The M.  C,  Hazard. 

History  and  methods. 
Home  Department  of  To-day,  The Mrs.  F.  V.  Stebbins. 

XL   THE  PARENTS  DEPARTMENT 

American  Child,  The Elizabeth  McCracken. 

As  the  Twig  is  Bent Susan  Chenery. 

Beckonings  from  Little  Hands Patterson  DuBois. 

Boy  and  Girl  Adolescent  Period Emma  V.  Fish. 

Boy  Life  and  Self  Government George  W.  Fiske. 

Boy  Problem,  The WiUiam  B.  Forbush. 

Bringing  up  Boys Kate  Upson  Clark. 

Care  and  Training  of  Children,  The LeGrandKerr,  M.D. 

Child  as  God's  Child,  The C.  W.  RisheU. 

Child  Nature  and  Child  Nurture Edward  P.  St.  John. 

Children  of  the  Future,  The Nora  A.  Smith. 

Children's  Rights Kate  Douglas  Wiggin  and 

Nora  Archibald  Smith. 

Children's  Ways James  Sully. 

Coming  Generation,  The WiUiam  B.  Forbush. 

Conservation  of  the  Child,  The Arthur  Holmes. 

Dawn  of  Character,  The E.  E.  R.  Mumford. 

Essentials  of  Character,  The E.  O.  Sisson. 

Family  and  Social  Work Edward  T.  Devine. 

From  the  Child's  Standpoint Florence  H.  Winterburn. 

Fundamentals  of  Child  Study E.  A.  Kirkpatrick. 

Girl  and  Her  Rehgion,  The Margaret  Slattery. 

Girl  in  Her  Teens,  The Margaret  Slattery. 

Hints  on  Child  Training H.  Clay  Trumbull. 

Home  Training  Bulletins W.  A.  McKeever. 

How  John  and  I  Brought  Up  the  Child .  .  .  EHzabeth  Grinnell. 

Making  the  Best  of  Our  Children Mary  Wood- Allen. 

Natural  Way  in  Moral  Training,  The Patterson  DuBois. 

Parent  and  Child Sir  OUver  Lodge. 

Parenthood  and  Race  Culture C.  W.  Saleeby. 

Parents  and  Their  Problems National     Congress     of 

Mothers. 

450 


BIBLIOGRAPHY 

Stories  and  Story  Telling Edward  P.  St. John. 

Study  of  Child  Life Mrs.  M.  Washburae. 

Study  of  Child  Nature,  A Elizabeth  Harrison. 

Training  of  Children,  The John  W.  Dinsmore. 

Training  the  Boy W.  A.  McKeever. 

Training  the  Girl W.  A.  McKeever. 

Unfolding  Life,  The Mrs.  A.  A.  Lamoreaux. 

Your  Child  To-day  and  To-morrow Mrs.  S.  M.  Gruenberg. 

Youth,  Its  Education,  Regimen,  and  Hy- 
giene   G.  Stanley  Hall. 

XII.   HOW  TO  INCREASE  ATTENDANCE 

Efficiency  in  the  Sunday  School  (Chapter  16).  .Henry  F.  Cope. 

Modern    Methods    in    Sunday-School    Work 

(Chapters  9-11) George  W.  Mead. 

Modem  Sunday  School  in  Principle  and  Prac- 
tice, The  (Chapter  8) Henry  F.  Cope. 

Organizing  and  Building  up  the  Sunday  School 

(Chapter  16) J.  L.  Hurlbut. 

Sunday  School  of  To-day,  The W.  W.  Smith. 

Sunday-School  Organization  and  Methods  (pp. 

96-110) Charles  Roads. 

XIII.   THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AND  MISSIONS 

Boys'  Congress  of  Missions Emma  E.  Koehler. 

Call  of  the  World,  The W.  E.  Doughty. 

Child  Life  in  Mission  Lands R.  E.  Diffendorf er. 

Five  Missionary  Minutes George  H.  Trull. 

Home  Mission  Handicraft L.  and  A.  B.  Beard. 

Individual  and  the  Social  Gospel,  The Shailer  Mathews. 

Jesus  Christ  and  the  Social  Question Francis  G.  Peabody. 

Leaders  in  Conference Katharine  R.  Crowell. 

Missionary      Methods      for      Sunday-School 

Workers George  H.  Trull. 

Missions  in  the  Sunday  School Martha  B.  Hixson. 

Missionary  Programs  and  Incidents George  H.  Trull. 

New  Home  Missions,  The H.  Paul  Douglass. 

Social  Aspects  of  Foreign  Missions,  The W.  H.  P.  Faunce. 

The  Bible :  A  Missionary  Book Robert  F.  Horton. 

Why  and  How  of  Foreign  Missions,  The Arthur  J.  Brown. 

451 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AT  WORK 

XIV.   WORSHIP  IN  THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

Children's  Story  Sermons  (1911) H.  T.  Kerr. 

Educational  Evangelism  (Chapter  8) C.  E.  McKinley. 

Efficiency  in  the  Sunday  School  (Chapter 

13) Henry  F.  Cope. 

Westminster  Superintendent's  Service  Book, 

The,  1914,  1915  (an  annual  volume) E.  Morris  Fergusson. 

Worship  in  the  Sunday  School Hugh  Hartshorne. 

Worship  and  Song Benjamin  S.  Winchester, 

Grace  Wilbur  Conant. 

XV.    BRINGING     THE     PUPIL    TO    A     DECISION    FOR 

CHRIST 

Catching  Men  (Chapter  6) J.  P.  Brushingham. 

Evangelistic  Awakening,  The  (Chapter  5) W.  F.  Stewart. 

How  to  Conduct  and  Promote  a  Successful  Re- 
vival (Chapter  on  Decision  Day) R.  A.  Torrey. 

Ingathering  of  Members,  The John  Balcom  Shaw. 

Manual  of  Revivals  (Chapter  11) G.  W.  Hervey. 

Method  in  Soul  Winning H.  C.  Mabie. 

Pastoral  and  Personal  Evangelism   (Chapters 

17-21) Charles  L.  Goodell. 

Pew  and  the  Pupil,  The R.  P.  D.  Bennett. 

Spiritual  Life  of  the  Sunday  School,  The J.  Wilbur  Chapman, 

Why,  When  and  How  of  Revivals,  The  (Chap- 
ter 14)  W.  F.  Mallalieu. 


452 


Date  Due 

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